The Relationship Between Organizational Size and Turnover: A Longitudinal Investigation

This research investigated the relationship between organizational size and turnover, using longitudinal data and time-series statistical methods. Four measures of turnover (accession rate, voluntary separation rate, involuntary separation rate, and mean tenure of those leaving the organization) were computed on a monthly basis for 65 months. After ARIMA modeling, each series was cross-correlated with a series based on organization size to investigate the relationship between turnover and size over time. The clearest relationships found were for the accession rate and average tenure of weavers; the more interesting relationships to voluntary and involuntary separations, however, were not found to be significant. Results are discussed from the perspective of temporal relationships, and the viewpoint of organizations as dynamic systems.