Abstract:
The rising rate of employee intention to leave, particularly young employees, is a source
of great concem for organizations in the contemporary business environment. The root
causes that influence the intention of young employees to leave must be established so that
proper retention strategies can be developed. This study investigates the impact of six key
organizational factors, salary policy, corporate social responsibility (CSR), ethical
leadership, workplace stress, work environment, and career development, on the turnover
intention of young employees aged l8 to 30 years in five selected industries in the Colombo
District, namely apparel, IT, hotel, banking, and healthcare.
A quantitative methodology was adopted in this study, and questionnaires were executed
on a sample of 250 respondents. The descriptive statistics assisted in ascertaining the levels
for all the variables, while correlation and regression analyses assisted in ascertaining the
interrelationships and predictive power of independent variables on the dependent variable,
intention to leave.
The findings of the research revealed that career development, salary policy, and work
stress had the greatest effects on turnover intention among young employees. Ethical
leadership also registered a strong negative reiiiiionship with turnover intention, although
CSR and work environment, though statistically significant, had relatively weaker effects.
All hypotheses put fofih r,vere supported.
This study contributes to the literature by conducting a comparative industry-wise study
and providing actionable suggestions for HR practitioners, policymakers, and
organizational decision-makers to develop specific strategies to retain young talent.
Opportunities fbr employee development, competitive compensation packages,
rninimizing work stress, and ethical leadership are some initiatives organizations can take
to decrease the intention to leave among their young employees.
Keyrvords: lntention to Leave, Young Employees, Salary Policy, Corporate SoCial
Ilesponsibility, Ethical Leadership, Work Stress, Work Environmento Career
Advancemento Colombo District
