A Gendered Career Stage Model to Explore Turnover Intent Among Correctional Officers

• Date: 01 June 2020
• Author: John Hepburn,Eric G. Lambert,Marie L. Griffin,Natalie Todak,Nancy L. Hogan
• Published date: 01 June 2020
• DOI: 10.1177/0032885520916818
• Subject Matter: Articles

https://doi.org/10.1177/0032885520916818

The Prison Journal

2020, Vol. 100(3) 332 –354

© 2020 SAGE Publications

Article reuse guidelines:

sagepub.com/journals-permissions

DOI: 10.1177/0032885520916818

journals.sagepub.com/home/tpj

Article

A Gendered Career

Stage Model to Explore

Turnover Intent Among

Correctional Officers

Marie L. Griffin1*, Eric G. Lambert2,

Nancy L. Hogan3, Natalie Todak4,

and John Hepburn1

Abstract

Understanding the factors that lead to correctional officer (CO) turnover

intent is vital. Using a gendered career stage model, this study focused

on male and female CO similarities and differences in workplace variable

effects on turnover intent across career stages. The results indicated that

organizational commitment was a consistent predictor of turnover intent

for all correctional officers at all career stages, and, at various career stages,

quality of supervision, coworker support, and safety concerns affected both

males and females. Male officers were more likely to leave at all career

stages, with the impact of job stress and role ambiguity influencing male

turnover intent.

1Arizona State University, Phoenix, USA

2University of Nevada, Reno, USA

3Ferris State University, Big Rapids, MI, USA

4The University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA

*Deceased August 15, 2016. This article is dedicated to Dr. Marie Griffin who passed away

far too soon. We, her fellow authors, miss her. She was a great teacher, prolific researcher,

and a wonderful human being. She had a huge and meaningful impact on the field of Criminal

Justice, as well as having positive impact on others.

Corresponding Author:

Eric G. Lambert, University of Nevada, Reno, Mail Stop 0214, 1664 North Virginia Street,

Reno, NV 89557, USA.

Email: ericlambert@unr.edu

916818TPJXXX10.1177/0032885520916818The Prison JournalGrin et al.

research-article2020

Griffin et al. 333

Keywords

correctional staff, turnover intent, career stage theory, gender model,

gender differences

Introduction

Historically, women have faced considerable obstacles in entering the cor-

rectional workforce, reporting hostility, harassment, and a general lack of

acceptance and support from male coworkers (Belknap, 2007). Although

there has been an effort to hire, retain, and promote more women in correc-

tions, they are still underrepresented in the correctional workforce. Overall,

about 40% of correctional staff are women (Winters, 2014). Women working

in corrections face many challenges (Gibson, 2018). Research has focused on

why more women do not work in correctional institutions, including how

female and male correctional officers (COs) perceive their work environment

and whether workplace variables affect them differently. This research draws

attention to the gendered experiences of being a CO. Researchers have also

studied whether the effects of correctional workplace variables, regardless of

gender, differ across the major four career stages. This study seeks to extend

the literature using a gendered model to explore the effects of workplace

variables on turnover intent across four career stages for female and male

officers.

Literature Review

Turnover is a problem in corrections, with the average turnover rate being

about 20% (Matz et al., 2014; Minor et al., 2011). High levels of turnover

among correctional staff strain valuable financial resources due to costs asso-

ciated with recruitment, testing, selection, and training of new staff, which

can reach tens of thousands of dollars per employee (Minor et al., 2011). A

second concern is the disruptive nature of the turnover process. Loss of

expertise and organizational knowledge resulting from high turnover rates

and the time needed for new employees to master necessary skills have the

significant potential to impact the proper running of any jail or prison

(Mitchell et al., 2000). Turnover impacts the remaining employees as well.

Supervisors can be inundated with additional responsibilities when faced

with the task of filling vacant posts and training new staff (Lambert & Hogan,

2009). According to Mitchell et al. (2000), turnover is “more than a mere

distraction; it is a serious threat to the safety and quality of service in correc-

tional facilities” (p. 335). In light of the high costs, scholars have increasingly