Motivation for and Prevention of Honest Responding in Exit Interviews and Surveys

Abstract

Exit interviews and surveys (EIS) provide unique opportunities for organizations to collect diagnostic information. Although the EIS process may be open to unethical response distortion by exiting employees, there have been few scientific inquiries into the reasons for such distortion. The present study was an attempt to identify these reasons. The results indicate three factors that can motivate honest responding (positive equity, capricious reasons, and negative equity) and three factors that can prevent honest responding (negative consequences, personal and situational reasons, and objectivity).