ORGANIZATIONAL DEMOGRAPHY AND TURNOVER - AN EXAMINATION OF MULTIFORM AND NONLINEAR HETEROGENEITY

This paper advances the study of organizational demography and turnove r by testing propositions derived from Blau's theory of heterogeneity and social structure. In a sample of 398 U.S. community hospitals, vol untary nursing turnover was examined in relation to three demographic dimensions-educational preparation, tenure and employment status-among nurse staff. The form of relationships between turnover and heterogen eity was specified to test whether heterogeneity affects turnover in a linear fashion or, alternatively, in an inverted U-shaped pattern. Ou r results suggest that effects of heterogeneity on turnover differ by dimension and that such effects can obtain independently of other dime nsions. Further, interactions between demographic dimensions show that demographic dimensions also interact with each other to affect nursin g turnover. Our findings partially support Blau's conceptualization of heterogeneity in social structure and highlight the importance of mul tiform heterogeneity in the study of organizational demography and gro up interaction outcomes.