MANAGER RETENTION AND JOB CHANGE IN THE TRANSIT INDUSTRY: A SURVEY OF MANAGER ATTITUDES

Issues related to the retention of management personnel in the transit industry are examined. The results are based on survey responses of 1,301 managers from 178 transit agencies and indicate that turnover may be substantially higher than previous reports have suggested. Specifically, 42.6 percent state that they will leave their present agency and 21.3 percent expect to leave the industry altogether. Analysis of these findings suggests that the problem of retention may be more pronounced for managers who are 5 to 10 years into their careers or whose positions are outside core transit areas (i.e., operations and maintenance). From the analysis of factors that might be related to the problem of retention, three explanatory factors are suggested: (a) absence of commitment to a career in transit, (b) lack of a clear career ladder within the industry, and (c) the end of the period of rapid transit growth. The major implication of these findings is that the managerial recruitment needs of the industry may be greater than previously indicated and will be especially pronounced for managers in the areas of marketing, personnel, and finance.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1987/1144/1144-002.pdf
• Record URL:
  • https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=MANAGER+RETENTION+AND+JOB+CHANGE+IN+THE+TRANSIT+INDUSTRY%3A+A+SURVEY+OF+MANAGER+ATTITUDES&author=C.+White&author=S.+Edner&publication_year=1987
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• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Transit Management and Performance. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Authors:
  • White, Charles
  • Edner, Sheldon
• Publication Date: 1987

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 7-16
• Monograph Title: Transit management, marketing, and performance
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1144
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Attitudes; Data collection; Management; Public transit; Recruiting; Surveys; Transit personnel; Transportation careers; Turnover
• Old TRIS Terms: Transit management
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Highways; Public Transportation; I10: Economics and Administration;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00476112
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 309046580
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Sep 30 1988 12:00AM