Abstract
This study investigates the link between job motivation and labour turnover in private universities located in southwestern Nigeria. Its objectives include evaluating the retention strategies used by these universities, analyzing how job motivation affects labour turnover, and identifying the factors contributing to turnover among academic staff. Data was gathered through questionnaires, with 200 participants chosen via purposive sampling, while stratified random sampling was used within each faculty. Data analysis was conducted using multiple regression analysis and t-test statistics at 0.05 significance level. The findings indicate that effective leadership, training and development, a conducive working environment, a good pension scheme, rewards for good performance, basic amenities for staff, and sound management policies are related to rates of employee turnover among academic personnel in southwest Nigerian private universities. The analysis shows that 44.5% of respondents were over 40 years old, 59.1% were male, and 37.8% had been employed for 2-4 years. The findings revealed that factors such as effective leadership, opportunities for training and development, a supportive work environment, a strong pension plan, performance-based rewards, provision of essential amenities, and robust management policies are closely associated with turnover rates among academic staff in private universities. To retain employees, it is recommended to provide motivational incentives that enhance job satisfaction, including fair compensation in terms of wages and salaries to reward job performance. These incentives are crucial for encouraging academic staff in private universities to stay in their roles.
Keywords: Employee Turnover, Job Motivation, Labour Market, Human Resource Management, Workforce Stability