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Building on the resource-based view of the firm and complex systems theory, we argue that the effective utilization of knowledge-intensive teamwork (KITwork) can be a source of sustained competitive advantage for firms that pursue a variety of strategies and compete in a variety of industries. KITwork is a multi-dimensional, multi-level social process that promotes knowledge flows within and between organizations. Through KITwork, the knowledge resources of individual employees are transformed into a capability that contributes to the effectiveness of knowledge-based organizations. After introducing and explaining the concept of KITwork, we explore the challenges that organizations must address in order to design HRM systems that support and facilitate KITwork.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of individual‐based, firm‐based, and market factors on job retention, basing its hypotheses on human capital theory and signaling models.

By collecting secondary data on 180 employees who left their jobs at one firm and interviewing human resource managers and those who left for other jobs, factors determining the decision to stay with a firm for a certain period were investigated. Hierarchical regression analyses were performed to test hypothesized relationships.

Marriage, gender, honored employee status, relative pay (both inter‐firm and intra‐firm wages), speed of promotion, and economic cycles had a significant impact on how long the employees retained their jobs, but education level and individual performance did not. Firm‐specific human capital, wages, and signaling effects were proved to affect job retention. Firm‐based factors had a significantly more pronounced impact on the ultimate decision than individual‐based factors.

This study examines worker mobility from the perspective of actual length of job retention, complementing existing streams of research based on intention to leave. Because a few unexamined psychological and sociological factors may confound the findings and because only examine one firm is examined, care should be used when generalizing the findings to other firms.

The study provides evidence useful in the creation of human resource management practices aimed at retaining competent employees.

This study's research questions and methods are new to the line of turnover studies, making it a starting point for further lines of exploration.

Bradley J. Alge is an associate professor of Management at Purdue University's Krannert School of Management. He received his Ph.D. in business administration from The Ohio State University, and an MBA from Kent State University. Professor Alge received his BBA from the University of Notre Dame, where he majored in MIS and was also a member of the 1988 Division I NCAA National Championship football team. Prior to entering academia, he worked as a consultant for Accenture. Professor Alge studies issues of human–technology interaction (e.g., electronic monitoring, virtual teams) and the effects of technology on individual and group attitudes and behaviors on the job. He has published in leading management and psychology journals including the Journal of Applied Psychology, Personnel Psychology, and Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes.