The study examined the effect of perceived prestige and perceived status on staff retention among academic and non-academic staff in federal universities in Niger Delta region of Nigeria and the moderating effect of job role on these relationships to provide evidence for improving staff retention in higher education. Prior work. Previous studies on staff retention in Nigerian universities have mainly focused on economic and organisational factors such as compensation, job satisfaction and career development, with relatively little attention to symbolic factors, such as perceived prestige and status. The current study fills this gap by investigating the effect of these symbolic factors on staff retention. Methodology. A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was used. Data were collected through structured questionnaires administered to 378 academic and non-academic staff drawn from nine federal universities in the Niger Delta region. Descriptive statistics, correlation, regression, and moderation analyses were used to analyse the data. Results: The findings revealed that perceived prestige and perceived status significantly and positively predict staff retention. Perceived prestige was a stronger predictor of academic staff retention whereas perceived status was relatively more important for non-academic staff. The relationship between perceived prestige, perceived status and the staff retention was significantly moderated by job role. Practical implications: University management should improve recognition systems, provide fair opportunities for career progression and develop transparent performance management systems to improve staff commitment and retention. Value: The study adds to the higher education and organisational behaviour literature by demonstrating the importance of symbolic recognition, in addition to traditional factors in staff retention, and by emphasising the moderating impact of job role on staff retention.
Perceived Prestige and Status as Predictors of Staff Retention in Federal Universities within Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. (2026). The Journal of Accounting and Management, 16(2), 65-83. https://dj.univ-danubius.ro/index.php/JAM/article/view/4038