To assess the proposed theoretical model, a survey was administered to junior auditors in large public accounting firms in
the Northeast and Southern United States. The results of path analysis support the theoretical model. Training effectiveness
and organisational prestige are associated with perceptions of career growth opportunities. Further, career growth opportunity
is linked to organisational commitment, which, in turn, is linked to employee turnover intentions. The results suggest
that firms can increase commitment and reduce turnover by focussing on the career growth of their employees.
Results may be most applicable to public accounting environments that are similar to that of the United States. Work in
American accounting firms has a reputation for high stress due to long hours and deadlines. Competition for promotion to
senior level is keen within large firms as the firms have a pyramidal hierarchy (e.g., Kalbers & Cenker, 2007). Senior level
employees at firms must obtain a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certificate which is roughly equivalent to Chartered
Accountant designation in United Kingdom. To obtain a CPA certificate, employees must pass the national CPA exam and have
relevant accounting experience. Regarding employee turnover, the focus of the current study, staff retention has been cited as
one of the top management issues in public accounting firms for several years (Brundage & Koziel, 2010). In 2010, accounting
firms in United States reported annual employee turnover of 12.8% (DeFelice, 2011).