Development of Organizational Commitment During the First Year of Employment: A Longitudinal Study of Pre- and Post-Entry Influences

Abstract

To test hypotheses concerning the influence of prospective and retro-spective rationality in the development of organizational commitment, we measured both the affective and continuance commitment of recent university graduates on three occasions during theirfirst year of employment and examined their relations with variables measured prior to and following entry into an organization. Prior to entry, we measured variables presumed to bind individuals to their choice of organization (i.e., volition, irrevocability, and importance) as well as perceived decision quality. Following entry, we measured perceptions of job quality, investments, and alternative employment opportunities. The results were more consistent with a prospective- than with a retro-spective-rationality view of the development of commitment. The best predictors of affective commitment were the job-quality and decision-quality variables. Continuance commitment correlated most strongly with the pre-and post-entry measures of perceived alternatives. Implications for organizational efforts to foster commitment in employees are discussed.

Technology Acceptance Model, Organizational Commitment and Turnover Intention: A Conceptual Framework

“…Cole and Johnson (2007) and Meyer et al (1991) described AC as an emotional attachment to the organization. AC refers to employees' involvement in, emotional attachment to, and identification with the organization (Meyer and Allen, 1988).…”

“…Allen and Meyer (1996) defined CC as the degree which an employee needs to continue working with an organization since the expense of leaving is too high. Meyer et al (1991) they found it difficult to find alternative job, so they prefer to continue their work to increase their commitment.…”

NCAA Athletic Department Employee Perceptions of Workplace Related Burnout, Commitment, and Emotional Intelligence

“…Employee commitment can be reinforced by organizational policies that support accurate descriptions of job responsibilities, and flexibility in not only working conditions but also through choices and policies (Meyer, Bobocel & Allen 1991). Work-family policies and employee control over time, flexibility and pace of work were also found to support employee commitment (Golembiewski, et al 1974;Eaton 2003).…”

Volunteer entry into hospital culture : relationships among socialization, P-O fit, organizational commitment, and job satisfaction.

“…The investigations presented within provide definitions of organizational commitment as well as measures of commitment (Allen & Meyer 1990b;Buchanan, 1974;Meyer & Allen, 1991;Mowday, Steers, & Porter, 1979;O'Reilly & Chatman, 1986). The researchers use samples composed of paid (Anderson, Martin, & Riddle, 2001;Finegan, 2000) and unpaid (Cuskelly & Boag 2001;Cuskelly, McIntyre, & Boag, 1998;Dailey, 1984) organization members to determine relationships between organizational commitment and other valued organizational outcomes.…”

“…Using the OCQ to measure unpaid staff member organizational commitment, Cuskelly et aI., (1998) Researchers (Allen & Meyer, 1990b;Buchanan, 1974;Meyer & Allen, 1991;Mowday et aI., 1979;O'Reilly & Chatman, 1986) have developed single dimension and multi-dimension measures of organizational commitment. From these measures, we have discovered processes facilitating organizational commitment vary upon stage of organization membership (Buchanan, 1974).…”