Turnover models for IT specialists

Abstract

The article discusses results of research on turnover among IT workers and indicates that the general frame of reference based on satisfaction and organizational commitment (Mobley model) creates a barrier for managerial and scientific understanding of turnover. Based on our qualitative research among IT professionals working in the financial services sectors in Poland in 2011, the standard patterns of turn-over for IT workers in Poland are presented. Results are compared to the patterns of turnover identified basing on research done on Indian IT specialists. It is argued that motive-driven turnover patterns of IT specialists are determined by IT workers’ motive profile and by social conditions on labour markets, rather than by cultural differences.