Employee perceptions of HRM practices and their turnover intentions: evidence from South Korea

Purpose The study sought to provide insight into the affective mechanisms that underlie the relationship between HRM practices and employee turnover intentions from the perspective of Korean employees. The study drew on social exchange theory and used compensation satisfaction, perceived job security and job autonomy to explain how perceptions of HRM practices affect employee turnover intentions. Design/methodology/approach The data were generated from a survey questionnaire administered to both white-collar and knowledge workers in different organizations in the Seoul Capital Area. The final sample consisted of 310 full-time employees. Findings The results show that compensation satisfaction and perceived job security have significant indirect negative effects on employees' intentions to leave their organization in the Korean context, which supports previous studies in Western contexts. However, the indirect effects of job autonomy on employee turnover intention were not significant in the current study. Originality/value This study continues the conversation about the important role HRM practices play in retaining valuable employees. This study offers a nuanced view of the relationship between HRM practices and employee turnover in a distinctive research setting. This study also provides realistic and practical suggestions on HRM so that organizations in Korea are able to implement HRM practices that help them retain competent employees.