Reconsidering the job-performance-turnover relationship:: The role of gender in form and magnitude

Research assessing the relationship between job performance and turnover has historically yielded mixed results. Reported findings have reflected no relationships, linear associations, or U-shaped forms between these constructs. The current study attempted to shed light on the intricate relationship between job performance and voluntary turnover by investigating gender boundaries and relevant controls. After controlling for age, tenure, and job satisfaction, the data provided evidence of a U-shaped association between job performance and turnover. However, once the data were partitioned into male, and female subsamples, a different pattern emerged, whereby males continued to reflect the U-shaped relationship and females reflected no job-performance-turnover relationship. Implications of these findings for both theory and research are provided.