Impact of Workplace Psychosocial Factors on Employee Retention Intention: Evidence from a Primary Survey of Indian Knowledge Workers

Abstract

High voluntary attrition among knowledge workers is one of the most persistent strategic challenges confronting Indian organisations in the post-pandemic economic environment. While prior research has examined individual predictors of turnover intention in isolation, an integrated investigation of multiple psychosocial workplace factors and their combined effect on retention intention remains sparse in the Indian context. This study examines the impact of five psychosocial workplace factors, namely Work-Life Balance, Supervisor Support, Organisational Commitment, Job Autonomy, and Employee Well-being, on Retention Intention among knowledge workers employed across private, public, and non-profit organisations in India. Primary data were collected from a structured questionnaire administered to a sample of 300 respondents drawn through stratified random sampling. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression. Results indicate that all five independent variables exert a statistically significant positive influence on Retention Intention, with Organisational Commitment (Beta = 0.221, p less than 0.001) and Work-Life Balance (Beta = 0.271, p less than 0.001) emerging as the strongest predictors. The overall regression model explains 61.4% of the variance in Retention Intention (R-squared = 0.614, F = 93.42, p less than 0.001). Findings carry important theoretical and practical implications for HR practitioners and policymakers seeking to build retention-oriented organisational ecosystems in India.