ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING PATHWAYS AS A RETENTION MECHANISM: THE ROLE OF EMPLOYABILITY PERCEPTIONS AMONG INDIAN SOFTWARE ENGINEERS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69980/heec3509Keywords:
Organizational Learning Pathways, Employability Perceptions, Retention Intentions, Proactive Personality, Managerial Support for Learning, Indian Software IndustryAbstract
Background: The rapidly evolving Indian software industry has intensified concerns regarding skill obsolescence and employee turnover, making workforce adaptability a critical organizational priority. Strategic organizational learning initiatives are increasingly recognized as essential for enhancing employee employability and retention.
Purpose: This study develops and empirically tests a multi-level model examining the relationship between organizational learning pathways, employability perceptions, and retention intentions among Indian software engineers, while investigating the moderating roles of proactive personality and managerial support for learning.
Methods: A mixed-methods research design was employed. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews with HR managers and software professionals informed the refinement of the conceptual model. In the quantitative phase, survey data were collected from 400 software professionals across 20 Indian IT organizations. The majority of respondents were aged between 25 and 35 years (62%), with an average work experience of 6.2 years. Data were analyzed using Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) to assess cross-level relationships.
Results: The findings revealed that organizational learning pathways significantly enhanced employability perceptions (β = 0.47, p < 0.01), which subsequently reduced turnover intentions (β = –0.39, p < 0.01). Employability perceptions partially mediated the relationship between organizational learning pathways and retention intentions. Furthermore, proactive personality (β = 0.21, p < 0.05) and managerial support for learning (β = 0.28, p < 0.05) strengthened these relationships, indicating the importance of both individual and organizational enabling factors.
Conclusion: The study demonstrates that inclusive organizational learning pathways contribute to stronger employability confidence and lower turnover intentions among software professionals. Findings further suggest that employee retention is shaped through the interaction of organizational learning mechanisms and individual psychological characteristics.
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