A Research Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master of Business Administration in Corporate Management (MBA-CM) of Mzumbe University Dar es Salaam Campus College
The purpose of this study was to identify factors that impact on staff turnover and strategies that organizations can use to curtail staff turnover. To achieve this goal the following procedure was followed. An overview of theories related to staff turnover was conducted to identify what staff turnover is. The current brain drain experienced in the medical field was explored. A literature study was also conducted focusing on individual, job, organizational and environmental factors that influence staff turnover and strategies those managers can utilize to reduce labour mobility. Interviews were conducted with the MOHSW and Temeke hospital administrative officer. Interviews were also conducted among senior nurses and doctors. The strategies that were utilized at these hospitals to retain doctors and nurses were also investigated.
Suggestions were made for addressing factors that could impact on staff mobility among doctors and nurses and strategies that could be utilized to retain staff. These strategies include; getting people off to a good start, create a great environment with bosses whom people respect, share information, give people as much autonomy as they can handle and challenge people to stretch. Staff turnover is an issue that many Tanzanian organizations are currently facing and an issue that is especially affecting the medical field. Various factors, especially job and organizational factors are not adequately addressed and these could lead to a high rate of staff turnover. It is clear that organizations should have a human resource strategic plan in order for them to effectively select, retain, train and develop employees. Health Care organization could use the strategies identified in this study as a mechanism to benchmark how well they manage staff turnover. It is therefore important that the management of hospitals should strive to identify the underlying causes of labour turnover in their organizations and formulate strategies to address the problem.