Executive Retention In A Malaysian Research And Development Organization

Executives are the backbone in a research and development organization in carrying out research activities. In depth interviews are carried out in a Malaysian research and development organization to explore the executives experience on their decision to stay with the organization. The human resource development practices are identified and studied from their point of views. Their experience is explored in order to find out how the human resource development practices contribute to their decision to stay in the organization. Result shows how training and development practices, career development practices and organizational development practices, the three human resource development areas have contributed to their retention in the organization. The training and development practices are individual training (analytical skill, soft skill and management skill) and organizational training (soft skill, leadership skill and academic programme), career development practices are individual effort an d organizational effort and organizational development practices are working environment, mentoring and coaching, interpersonal relationship. These human resource development practices are found to have contributed to the executive’s decision to stay. However, some remain in the organization because they are just happy working in the organization and passion of being researchers