Thesis
Turnover intentions among women engineers : a field theory perspective
- Creator
- Rights statement
- Awarding institution
- University of Strathclyde
- Date of award
- 2026
- Thesis identifier
- T17641
- Person Identifier (Local)
- 201654089
- Qualification Level
- Qualification Name
- Department, School or Faculty
- Abstract
- The turnover phenomenon among women engineers has been consistent for many years. Women engineers have encountered various challenges in the workplace across different stages of their employment, not only from organisational factors but also from external factors that affect their work. While previous scholars have made valuable contributions, research on turnover intentions among women, particularly in engineering, remains limited, especially in the Malaysian context. The current research contributes by addressing this gap. Drawing on concepts from Lewin’s Field Theory and Role Theory, which posit that women engineers occupy multiple roles in various settings, this thesis aims to shed light on the factors within and beyond the organisational context that influence turnover intentions. The study employed a convergent mixed-methods research design, integrating both quantitative and qualitative approaches. A survey of 309 engineers based in Malaysia focused on hypotheses tests about the relationships between organisational socialisation tactics, job embeddedness, and turnover intentions for both men and women. Focus group discussions with 21 women engineers were analysed to identify themes related to organisational and non-organisational forces influencing turnover intentions. The survey analysis showed that specific forms of socialisation tactics particularly content and social tactics were significantly associated with job embeddedness and turnover intentions. Job embeddedness also mediated the relationship between socialisation tactics and turnover intentions, while gender was not found to moderate this relationship. The focus groups revealed that women engineers face both organisational challenges, such as workload demands, limited support, and gender bias, and non-organisational pressures, including family responsibilities, commuting burdens, and long-term career goals. These findings highlight how a web of interrelated forces influences the turnover intentions of women engineers. The research contributes context-specific insights by examining turnover intentions among women engineers in Malaysia. The findings contribute valuable insights to organisational practices and advocate for policies that support women in sustaining and advancing their careers in engineering. Practically, this study informs organisational strategies and national policy efforts aimed at supporting and retaining women in their jobs and engineering careers.
- Advisor / supervisor
- Scholarios, Dora
- Findlay, Patricia
- Resource Type
- DOI
- Funder
Relations
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PDF of thesis T17641 | 2026-03-03 | Public | Download |