Predicting Turnover Intention among Inbound Call Center Workers in the Philippines

The need to understand factors that predict turnover intention among call center workers is crucial and necessary to boost the performance, productivity and profitability of call centers. To identify the factors that initiate, sustain, and aggravate this behavior, the present study utilized a predictive design aimed at investigating turnover intention among call center agents within the call center industry in the Philippines. Self-report surveys were used to collect data drawn from 212 inbound call center agents in Metro Manila. Multiple regression was used to test whether job demands, job control, salary, burnout and social support predict turnover intention. The results indicated that three predictors accounted for 65% of the variance (R-2=0.43, F (4,207) = 38.33, p<0.01). The results of the regression indicated that job control (beta = 0.16, p < 0.05), salary (beta = -0.17, p < 0.05), and burnout (beta = 0.66, p < 0.05) predicted turnover intention. On the other hand, results for social support (beta = 0.05, p > 0.05) and job demands (beta = -0.06, p > 0.05) were not significant. To examine whether other variables interacted with job demands and social support in predicting turnover intention, turnover intention scores were subjected in a three-way analysis of variance on two levels of job demands (high, low), two levels of social support (high, low), and two levels of job control (high, low). Main effect for job demands [F(1, 208)=14.744, p=0.00, eta(2)(p)= 0.07] was significant. The researchers discuss the practical implications and future research directions.