Exploring Talent Management Practices and Their Role in Shaping Organisational Commitment and Employee Turnover Intention in the Saudi Arabian Retail Sector

Abstract

Talent management has grown in significance for organisations that aim to boost commitment and to reduce turnover, especially in labour-intensive industries such as retail. While previous studies have examined the effects of talent management practices, there is a lack of qualitative insight into how employees perceive these practices in particular settings, such as the Saudi Arabian private sector. This study investigates how talent management practices influence organisational commitment and turnover intention among frontline staff and managers in the Saudi private retail industry. The study employs a qualitative, interpretivist approach to explore participants’ lived experiences. Data were gathered via open-ended, face-to-face interviews with frontline and line managers in private retail firms. Thematic analysis, using Braun and Clarke’s framework, was used to analyse the interview data, providing a detailed understanding of how talent management practices are perceived and implemented in daily work settings. The findings indicate that talent management practices vary across organisational levels and are influenced by factors such as organisational size, job role and daily interactions with managers. Organisational commitment is mostly relational and localised, especially among frontline staff whose loyalty tends to be directed more towards immediate supervisors and work teams than to the organisation. Turnover intentions tend to develop gradually when talent management strategies are seen as inconsistent, unclear or lacking sufficient support at the local level. The study underscores the critical role of localised organisational support in shaping how talent management affect organisational commitment and employees’ decisions to stay or leave. This study provides context-specific insights into how talent management, organisational Commitment and turnover intentions are related within the Saudi retail sector. In addition, it offers practical recommendations for managers by highlighting the importance of consistent local support and tailored talent management practices in enhancing employee commitment and retention.