ORGANIZATIONAL PRESSURE AND EMPLOYEES TURNOVER INTENTION IN FOOD PROCESSING COMPANIES IN ANAMBRA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of organizational pressure on employees’ turnover intention in food processing companies in Anambra State, Nigeria. Anchored on the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) theory, the study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population comprised 1,213 employees across selected food processing firms, from which a sample of 301 respondents was drawn using Taro Yamane formula. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire and analyzed using multiple linear regression to test the study’s hypotheses. The findings revealed that organizational pressure significantly influences employees’ turnover intention as expressed through job search behavior. Specifically, workload intensity exhibited a significant positive effect on employees’ job search behavior (β = .312, p = .003), indicating that increased workload heightens employees’ desire to seek alternative employment. Time pressure also showed a significant positive influence (β = .288, p = .008), suggesting that persistent deadlines and urgency in task completion contribute to turnover intention. Additionally, role ambiguity had a significant positive effect (β = .197, p = .021), signifying that unclear job expectations foster job search tendencies. Similarly, role conflict significantly predicted job search behavior (β = .156, p = .043), demonstrating that incompatible job demands and conflicting instructions increase employees’ likelihood of leaving the organization. The study concludes that organizational pressures which manifest through high workload intensity, time pressure, role ambiguity, and role conflict, substantially heighten employees’ turnover intention in food processing companies within the state. The study therefore recommends among others that organizations should reduce excessive workload intensity in order to reduce the physical and mental strain on employees, thereby lowering their likelihood of engaging in job search behavior.