A Notsie narrative perspective on turnover in the UK financial services industry

Figures & data

Table 1. Summary of King Agorkoli’s tyrannical ethics and signature practices.

	Tyrannical ethic	Signature practices and tactics
1	Inequalities and rights violation	▪ High-handedness ▪ Callous transgressions ▪ Dehumanization of subjects ▪ Patronization and prevarication
2	Deception and impunity	▪ Uncanny intelligence gathering and surveillance ▪ Building of the infamous Notsie city walls ▪ Ruthlessness and summary executions ▪ Detention and imprisonment without trial
3	Silence and outrage	▪ Persecution of dissidents ▪ Violence and torture ▪ Subjugating polyphonic voices ▪ Censorship and disdain for glasnost
4	Misery and hardship	▪ Stigmatization of intelligentsia ▪ Poor working conditions ▪ Investment in vanity projects ▪ State for patronage

Table 2. Summary of interviewee socio-demographic information.

#	Pseudonym	Gender	Age	Qualification	Area of business	Years*	Current job title
1	Abigail	Female	31	Master	Financial services	3	Business Analyst
2	Barbara	Female	38	Master	Retail banking	4	Project Manager
3	Mary	Female	36	Master	General insurance	4	Research Student
4	Derrick	Male	33	Master	Retail banking	3	Business Analyst
5	Anthony	Male	40	Master	Retail banking	5	Business Analyst
6	Jessica	Female	30	Bachelor	Retail banking	2	Quality Controller
7	Rosaline	Female	34	Bachelor	General insurance	4	Project Manager
8	Bartosz	Male	32	Bachelor	Retail banking	3	Clerical Staff
9	Ahmed	Male	26	Bachelor	Retail banking	3	Recruitment Specialist
10	Nadeem	Male	45	Diploma	Financial services	6	Compliance Officer
11	Hikmah	Female	29	Diploma	Retail banking	4	Mortgage Advisor
12	Caroline	Female	27	Bachelor	Retail banking	5	Customer Services
13	Angelina	Female	50	A Levels	General insurance	6	Admin Officer
14	Nadia	Female	29	Diploma	Retail banking	5	Team Manager
15	Ayesha	Female	35	Master	Retail banking	2	Project Support
16	Femi	Male	33	Bachelor	Retail banking	4	IT Specialist
17	Charlotte	Female	22	Bachelor	Retail banking	5	Nurse
18	David	Male	49	A Levels	Retail banking	8	Supply Chain Officer
19	Ambika	Female	34	A Levels	Retail banking	3	Logistics Officer
20	Tammy	Female	28	A Levels	Retail banking	4	Project Support Officer

*Number of years respondent worked as FCH.

Table 3. Illustrative quotes on impulsive managerial practices that precipitate turnover.

Category	Exemplar quotes from storied accounts
The eye of providence	“I was not allowed to have my phone on my desk while at work, it had to be locked up in a locker.” (Abigail, 31) “My manager and senior management kept track of the times I clocked into the office and clocked out every day and made references to timing discrepancies of less than 5 min.” (Mary, 36) “Every activity carried out on our computers was constantly being monitored remotely.” (Tammy, 28)
Relentless pursuit of excellence	“I struggled to achieve my weekly targets because the yardstick for measurement was unrealistic.” (Caroline, 27) “Negative feedbacks resulting from poor ratings on a case quality checked for me meant I stood a higher risk of losing my job.” (Nadia, 29) “The targets kept on getting increased each time the management realized that majority of the FCH had found a balance on how to achieve their weekly targets adequately.” (Charlotte, 22)
Infantilization at work	“My creativity could not be put to good use as I always had to follow the script, even when it did not quite fit the situation.” (Barbara, 38) “We were called into a meeting and told there would be a £5 reduction in our daily wages. No explanation or consultation was done, and I could not shake off the feeling of being under-valued.” (Derrick, 33) “There was a one-month notice period demanded before I could quit, or else a month’s wage would be withheld.” (Nadeem, 45)
Marginalization at work	“Permanent staff were treated in a more dignified manner while we contract staff had our needs disregarded. We had no fridge in our workstations while the permanent staff did.” (Hikmah, 29) “We could not be seen with our phones during office hours, yet our managers always had theirs in full view and used it for personal purposes during work hours.” (Ambika, 34) “The permanent staff had more support (training and coaching) on the job if needed to improve the standard of their work while we were mostly placed on performance plans which could result in dismissal.” (Rosaline, 34)