Investigating Factors Influencing the Retention of Talents in Iranian Electric Industry in the line of accomplishing science and technology’s general policies

Abstract: In clause 2-7 of science and technology’s general policies, the maintenance and retention of talents is highly emphasized. Therefore, the current study aimed to identify factors affecting the retention of talents in Iranian electric industry. To do so; a qualitative research method with case study approach was used. Statistical population included academic informants and electric industry’s human resource managers and talents from whom 19 individuals were purposefully selected and profoundly interviewed. The collected qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis and the validity was confirmed through techniques such as member checking, data source triangulation and negative/deviant case analysis. Also, re-test reliability and inter-coder reliability were used to assess coding reliability. After constant review of the interviews scripts, the codes or initial concepts were derived and then similar codes were abstracted into special categories, for which a label was selected that stood for all the codes under that category. Finally, the main factors influencing the retention of talents in Iranian electric industry were identified and categorized into organizational factors, job factors and retention mechanisms.