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 theircareers 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 aresuggested, (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 maybe greater than previously indicated and will be especially pronounced for managers in the areas of marketing, personnel, and finance. This paper appeared in transportation research record no. 1144, transit management, marketing, and performance. For covering abstract see irrd no 818469.
Abstract