Assessing the relationship between challenges, self-esteem and intentions to quit of women in the petrochemical industry

Abstract

Women constantly quit their jobs, therefore, it is a challenge for organisations to understand the cause of the situation. Women, compared to men, still earn less than the average wage of men while most of the jobs occupied by women are administrative jobs. Aspects such as challenges at work and a poor self-esteem could be considered to understand why women quit their jobs. These factors also were investigated in petrochemical industries of South Africa in this study. The objective of this investigation was to assess the relationship between challenges, self-esteem and intentions to quit of women employed in the petrochemical industry. The study also wanted to determine the role of challenge and generalised negative self-esteem in intentions to quit. A quantitative approach was followed using a cross-sectional survey, employing a convenience sample (n = 300) was used. The results of the study indicated that statistically significant relationships exist between the variables. Also, the findings also revealed that organisational challenge, stereotyping and negative self-esteem served as predictors of intentions to quit.