Resurrecting the management paradox in a Peruvian call center

Abstract

Enriching the organization with highly employable workers at the likely cost of experiencing high turnover posits a management paradox, but, in a study in Belgium, De Cuyper and De Witte (2009) claimed to have proved the paradox false. The present research constructively replicates their study targeting the relationships between employability, turnover intention, and absenteeism among client service representatives of a Peruvian call center. De Cuyper and de Witte’s distinction between the likelihood of attaining “another job” and “a better job” was not upheld by confirmatory factor analysis. On the other hand, we found strong positive effects of perceived external employability on employees’ turnover intention, though not on absenteeism. The observed management paradox may represent the circumstance of most call centers worldwide.