Causes for Instructors’ Intensions to Leave Public Universities in Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Staff retention has become a difficult task at public universities
in Ethiopia where there is high staff turnover. Senior and seasoned teaching
and research staff often leave the universities for better paying jobs in other
organizations. Identifying the root causes of staff attrition at public
universities in the country is a key issue for ensuring staff retention that may
enable to attain sustainable expansion and quality of education and research.
A focus on such issue would enable policy makers to plan strategies that
would reduce attrition rate of teaching and research staff who are key role
players in ensuring quality education and research at public universities in the
country.
Objectives: The objective of the study was to elucidate factors that cause
staff attrition at public universities in Ethiopia and suggest remedial
measures.
Methods: This study was undertaken in 2013/14 academic year at 13 public
(government) universities. It was undertaken through self-administered
questionnaires and discussions with instructors, students, and university

leadership. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics with the
support of some tests of hypothesis where comparisons were found to be
necessary.
Results: The study revealed that there was low level of motivation of staff to
continue working at the universities. Accordingly, 63% of the interviewed
instructors responded that they had low motivation to work at the universities
and 73% revealed their intention to leave their jobs in the near future. Low
salaries and dissatisfaction with poor governance systems of the universities
were mentioned to be the major reasons for staff to leave their jobs. The
interview results also indicate that the salaries to be paid at the universities in
the study year should be 19,641.89 (Nineteen Thousand and six hundred and
forty-one and 89 cents) for a person with the academic rank of professor, for
example. The salary issue is, however, resolved in 2016 to the extent that is
equivalent to the recommendation of this study.
Recommendations: Recommended solutions include installing staff benefits
beyond salary and improving the working environment for the staff,
including good governance. It is important also to make further study in
order to see the effect of policy lag and make necessary adjustments.