The Relationship of Workplace Communication Stress and Turnover Intention of Apparel Industry Workers: Evidence from Colombo District, Sri Lanka

Abstract

This study was done to identify the relationship between Workplace Communication Stress (WCS) and Employee Turnover Intention (ETI) among the apparel industry workers in Western Province, Sri Lanka. Five (5) apparel manufacturing organisations were selected for this study by representing small, medium and large scale organizations in Western Province, Sri Lanka. Data were collected from 150 workers using a pretested questionnaire. The questionnaire was developed using the Cartwright and Cooper’s ASSET Model. Descriptive and Inferential Statistic methods were used for data analysis. Results reveal that 52% of the workers had low level WCS. About 37 % and 11 % had medium and high levels of WCS respectively. The Variables have shown there is a moderate strong positive correlation between WCS and ETI (ρ = 0.450, P<0.000). There is a knowledge gap in Sri Lanka to conduct researches on how to minimize WCS in a sustainable manner rather than just using "carrot and stick" tool. A better a strategy to minimize WCS would lead to lower ETI.