Family ties, spouse's employment and cost of living were most often cited as reasons for the above scenarios according to a recent survey published in Runzheimer Reports on Relocation.

Of the 52 relocation administrators surveyed, 56 percent named family ties and 51 percent cited spouse's employment as reasons why relocation offers were rejected or the job in the new location failed.

Close to half of the respondents (47 percent) cited cost-of-living factors as well. Other frequently cited reasons included "no desire to move to destination location," 47 percent; housing /mortgage concerns, 31 percent; and personal reasons, 29 percent.

Three important words emerge from this survey, according to Phyllis Schumann, senior editor of the newsletter.

Family comes first. "Whether defined as spouse, significant other, children, or mom and dad, family has a profound impact on an employee's decision to relocate," she said.

According to 58 percent of the respondents, employees in middle management positions most often turned down relocation offers or were involved in transfers that resulted in failure. New hires are also vulnerable.

Respondents painted a picture that suggested the typical employee who turns down an offer to relocate is married and at a senior level within the firm. On the flipside, the typical employee who represents a failed relocation is married and a new hire.

"Senior-level people have the experience to know before-the-fact that the job offer, combined with a relocation, probably won't work," Schumann said. "They have enough clout within the organization to reject the offer. New hires might eagerly accept the new assignment, only to discover too late it's not working."