Explanation of a Model for Faculty Retention of Iranian Medical Universities- A Qualitative Content Analysis

Attention to human resource management leads to more qualitative educational, research and medical services. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors affecting the retention of faculty members for whom the universities have invested am enormous sum of money for recruiting, employment and training.

Five medical science universities were purposefully chosen. Using data triangulation and semi-structured in-depth interviews, 25 faculty members were interviewed. Coding was done using ATLAS.ti software. Adhering to all standards and protocols, open, axial and selective coding were used. Following 5 stages of refining codes and designing the initial model, the reliability and validity of the model were measured.

1197 open codes were extracted. Using open and axial and selective coding, 60 components in 12 categories and 3 dimensions were recognized. Based on the findings of the content analysis, personal motivations was the most important reason for retention of faculty members.

The findings of this study showed strategic planning with special attention to intra and extra-organizational motivating factors can enhance the retention of faculty members.