A study of the attributions for voluntary external turnover of internal auditors

The purpose of this study was to determine the locus of causality for satisfaction and dissatisfaction of internal auditors, and to determine which factors are relevant to the voluntary external turnover of internal auditors within the last five years. The research used knowledge from attribution theory, audit literature, and voluntary employee turnover, to create a conceptual framework. The framework served as basis for hypotheses formulation, and field-testing. Prior research in attribution theory indicated that attributional dimension serves as a basis for behavior explanation, which guides the expectation about future outcome. Similarly, existing literature indicated that job dissatisfaction, organizational commitment, and alternative job opportunities, are relevant to voluntary turnover of employees. Members of the Institute of Internal Auditors in USA were surveyed in March 2009. The findings indicated that job satisfaction or dissatisfaction of the internal auditors is directly related to the work environment, including actions of coworkers and supervisors. It was also found that the voluntary turnover of internal auditors over the last five years, was not associated with a lack of job satisfaction, nor a lack of organizational commitment, but it was associated with the availability of alternative opportunities which were partly created by Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002. The results could serve as useful tool for management to promote the retention of internal auditors or to facilitate a functional turnover of internal auditors.