Determinants of Instructors’ Intention to Stay in First Generation Public Universities in Ethiopia: Management and PRs Perspective

Organisational turnover intention (TI) is a serious problem among academic staff in Ethiopian universities. For universities to stay competent and attain their vision, retaining qualified and talented academic staff is paramount. The study examines variables determining intention to stay (IS) in First Generation Universities (FGUs). The study involved a cross-sectional correlational study. From three randomly selected FGUs––Jimma University, Hawassa University, and the University of Gonder––the study selected 600 instructors using stratified random sampling. The study used a structured questionnaire to gather information; descriptive statistics and parametric tests served as means of data analyses. As the statistical analysis indicated, being female significantly influenced IS in FGUs. The stepwise regression identified the perceived internal University image (UI) of FGUs, job satisfaction (JS), communication source satisfaction (CS), and organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB) uniquely determining IS in FGUs. The four variables collectively explained 38.8% (Adjusted R2 = 38.4%) of the variation in IS. The study recommends strengthening these retention mechanisms and identifying other factors determining IS in FGUs.