Perceived Human Resource Management Practices and Intention to Stay in Private Higher Education Institutions in Malaysia: The Role of Organizational Citizenship Behaviour

Addressing the problem of lecturer turnover in Malaysia, this study investigated the motivations behind the intention of employees to stay in private higher education institutions (PHEIs) in Malaysia, with a focus on the relationship between the perceived practices of human resource management (HRM) and the intention to remain at Malaysia’s PHEIs. Based on the social exchange theory (SET), this article proposed that the perceived HRM practices at those institutions are uniquely positioned to support employee intention to stay, particularly with the intervention of organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB). Data from 323 lecturers working at PHEIs in Malaysia confirm this model. Based on the analysis, this study revealed that recruitment and selection; training and development; and rewards and recognition all had a meaningful relationship with the intention to stay. In contrast, notably, performance appraisal did not have any significant relationship with the intention to stay.