The impact of staffing policies on retail buyer job attitudes and behaviors

This research focuses on the impact of four staffing policies (promotion from within, promotion through seniority well-defined career paths, and opportunities for intraorganizational mobility) on the job attitudes and behaviors of retail employees. A test of the conceptual framework using survey data collected from 207 retail buyers and divisional merchandise managers indicates that staffing policies significantly affect the buyers' intrinsic motivation and commitment to their firms. Commitment and intrinsic motivation, in turn, have a strong effect on a buyer's creativity, risk-taking behavior and intention to leave the organization. The results suggest that staffing policies are an important mechanism for controlling buyer attitudes and behaviors.