In this study the relationships existing among organizational characteristics, latent dimensions of organizational commitment and organizational performance were examined. The empirical study was conducted in two steps, in the first, the identification of latent organizational commitment dimensions was sought and, in the second, confirmation of the latent dimensions identified in the first part, and, by use of the validated dimensions, establishment of relationships with organizational characteristics, as antecedents, and organizational performance, as a consequence of the commitment, was undertaken. In the first step, 305 salespersons from 170 stores in shopping centers located in Natal were interviewed and in the second step 269 employees of 82 hotels located in three capital of Northeast Brazil: Fortaleza, Natal and Recife, were interviewed. The study began with 60 indicators of organizational commitment; eighteen from the Meyer Allen and Smith (1993) instrument, twelve from the O'Reilly and Chatman (1986) instrument and thirty indicators constructed from the theoretical review undertaken. Results obtained with factor analysis identified seven latent dimensions of commitment that were interpreted in light of organizational commitment theories. The second step of the research utilized an instrument reduced to twenty-eight indicators with the purpose of confirming the latent dimensions previously identified. In addition to these indicators, data were collected on organizational characteristics and hotel performance. Using exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and analysis of internal consistency, six of the seven latent dimensions identified in the first step were validated. By way of structural equations modeling a model of causal relations between latent dimensions of commitment and organizational performance was established. Following this, the model was expanded by the inclusion of three sets of organizational characteristics: a) organizational structure, b) human resource systems, and c) organizational philosophy and ix values. On the practical side, the model demonstrated that a specific set of organizational characteristics influence positively latent dimensions of commitment, predominantly affective, that, consequently, influence positively hotel performance. On the other hand, another set of organizational characteristics influence positively latent instrumental dimensions, which, consequently, influence negatively performance. On the theoretical side, this study explicitly verified the hypothesis that organizational commitment leads organizations to higher performance, a hypothesis until now without empirical proof.