Leadership impact on turnover among power engineers in the Oil Sands of Alberta

• Main Author: Lutchman, Chitram
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: University of Phoenix 2008
• Subjects: Management; Fort McMurray
• Online Access: http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3346637

The current study was intended to address the knowledge gap about leadership impact on turnover among power engineers employed by oil and gas producers in the Oil Sands of Fort McMurray, Northern Alberta. The purpose of the current study was to determine possible relationships between intent to turnover by power engineers and leadership factors. The leadership factors refer to the independent variables (a) access to training opportunities, (b) perceived involvement in workplace decisions, (c) work and life balance, (d) perceived co-worker support, and (e) perceived support from supervisor (i.e., leaders). Knowledge derived may provide organizations opportunities to preferentially allocate resources to addressing these relationships. The research methodology used in the current study to determine the degree of relationships was a non-experimental, quantitative, explanatory correlation design. Findings of the current study confirmed that weak relationships existed between (a) access to training opportunities, and (b) perceived support from supervisor/leaders with intent to turnover. To the extent that findings can be generalized to other employers in the Oil Sands of Alberta, the current study may provide opportunities for mitigating turnover through proactive measures for addressing these relationships by preferential allocation of resources. By doing so, employers could reduce spending directed toward retention of power engineers in the region. The current study recommended a root cause analysis be undertaken to understand leadership impacted turnover at its base. Another recommendation was to repeat the current study for individual organizations and for other similarly affected groups within these organizations. A final recommendation was to investigate the relationship between organizational other non-leadership factors related to turnover.