CAREER-DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND LIKELIHOOD OF TURNOVER AMONG RESEARCH-AND-DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONALS

It is commonly assumed that the turnover of R&D professionals can be reduced by providing them with opportunities for career development within their company. This study suggests that this may not always be the case. Findings from a study of over two thousand R&D professionals suggest that their likelihood of turnover changes with the types of career development opportunities they are provided. Professionals provided with opportunities to develop their technical careers are more likely to leave their current employer, but less likely to leave R&D for other areas of the company. Moreover, professionals provided with managerial development opportunities are more likely to leave R&D for other areas of the company, but less likely to leave their current employer.