Exploring the Impact of Employer Educational Assistance as an ODI on Enhancing Organizational Commitment and Reducing Turnover Intention: A Case Study

Abstract

This article aims to determine the relationship of employer educational assistance with organizational commitment in terms of affective commitment, continuance commitment, normative commitment to turnover intention, thought of quitting, and job alternatives. Many organizations offer the benefit of educational assistance to their employees. However, it seems that many of them are not sure whether the expenditure is harmonious with the benefits they receive in return. This is particularly true when organizations offer general rather than specific educational benefits that are not tied to job-related tasks. This has lead many organizations to ask what benefit if any, they receive from providing tuition assistance programs. While most of the previous research has been tied to tangible returns on this investment in employee capital, with varying conclusions, this study examines two of the intangible benefits that are proposed to accumulate to an organization providing educational assistance; increased organizational commitment and decline in turnover intention. The focal organization, a large corporation, is one of the leaders in the information and communication technologies sector in Thailand. The study focuses on 90 retail staff members. The method used is both quantitative in the form of surveys and qualitative in the form of action research. The process of ODI is based on employer educational assistance and its effect on organizational commitment and turnover intention. The research findings provide evidence that leads to the conclusion that there is a significant difference between pre- and post-ODI on organizational commitment and turnover intention. Continuance commitment has the most significant result after the intervention. Moreover, the results show a significant negative relationship between turnover intention and organizational commitment.