Does ‘gender’ mediate or moderate the relationship between ‘quality of work life’ and ‘organizational commitment’?

Abstract

Purpose Literature on organizational commitment of employees has long established that quality of work life (QWL) is a significant determinant. However, the strength of the relationship between organizational commitment and QWL is more complicated given the diversity of employees and the broad scope of organizational commitment as a construct. The researchers break down organizational commitment into three distinct measures as extant literature suggests and then explore the role played by gender in a culturally rich context as in Egypt. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on a sample of 117 respondents from small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Items used in the survey were extracted from previous research studies. The survey consisted of 39 questions to measure the three research variables. QWL was measured using Zin’s (2004) developed questionnaire. The items covered seven dimensions: growth and development, participation, physical environment, supervision, pay and benefits, social relevance and workplace integration. The reported Cronbach’s alpha for the scale was 0.93. Items were measured on a five-point Likert scale. Findings The researchers empirically found that gender plays only a minor and moderating role in the relationship between QWL and affective commitment. The researchers conclude the study with implications for policy, practice and future research. Research limitations/implications This study had several limitations. First, the sample size was relatively small. Second, the sample composition (singular focus on SMEs in Egypt) was not diverse enough. Third, the tools used in collecting the data were not adjusted to the national cultural context. Fourth, the study lacks an experimental design which is a limitation (Shadish et al., 2002). These limitations, taken together, limit the generalizability of the results and conclusions from the study. Thus, the results are suggestive rather than definitive. Additionally, only the association between variables was investigated, and the researcher did not clearly explore the cause–effect relationships. Whether QWL is the antecedent or the consequence is another research question yet to be explored. Practical implications It is recommended for future researchers to enlarge and diversify the sample. Additional investigations of the role of gender as a mediator or moderator need to be explored. Researchers should also study the roles of other demographic variables to highlight behavioural and attitudinal variables that significantly affect QWL. Originality/value While the primary relationship between “perceived quality of work life” and “organizational commitment” is well established in existing literature across many organizational contexts, there is a paucity of research on the moderating and/or mediating effects of third attitudinal variables on this primary relationship. Hence, the main focus of this study was to empirically test the moderating and/or mediating effects of gender on the relationship between “perceived quality of work life” and “organizational commitment.” The researchers examine organizational commitment more granularly in terms of its components, namely, affective, continuance and normative commitments.

Mediator Role of Organizational Commitment to Performance

“…Employees are looking for a company that provides a healthy quality of work life that allows them to balance work and personal commitments and feel productive and valued. By understanding what employees are looking for at the organizational level it will be possible to achieve goals and maintain the market while at the individual level it will increase welfare and provide better performance (Badawy et al, 2018).…”

Work-Life Quality, Job Involvement, and Affective Commitment of School Teachers

“…This clearly shows that organizations who have a culture of JI have more committed employees in comparison to those who do not involve their employees at all (25). Employees who feel a positive change in their daily work experience have AC that can be maintained or even increased (39,40). This research concludes that JI directly and positively influences AC.…”

Gender differences in organizational commitment and rewards within Japanese manufacturing companies in China

“…For instance, Hofstede (1980) found a highly consistent pattern of men rating earning power and advancement more highly than women did, while women rated the physical environment more highly. However, previous empirical research from Egypt has found that gender played only a minor role in moderating the relationship between quality of work-life (measured in seven dimensions: growth and development, participation, physical environment, supervision, pay and benefits, social relevance, and workplace integration) and OC (El Badawy et al, 2018).…”

“…Prior studies have revealed OC differences between men and women (Hartmann, 2000; Marsden et al , 1993; Mason, 1995; Wiersma, 1990; Mathieu and Zajac, 1990; Savery and Syme 1996), indicating that there are differences in OC mechanisms. Besides, gender has been found to act as a moderator in the relationship between OC and its antecedents (El Badawy et al , 2018; Elizur and Koslowsky, 2001; Mellor et al , 1994).…”