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Organizational identity strength, identification, and commitment and their relationships to turnover intention: does organizational hierarchy matter?
Author(s) -
Cole Michael S.,
Bruch Heike
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of organizational behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.938
H-Index - 177
eISSN - 1099-1379
pISSN - 0894-3796
DOI - 10.1002/job.378
Subject(s) - organizational commitment , psychology , organizational identification , organizational identity , confirmatory factor analysis , hierarchy , social psychology , construct validity , construct (python library) , discriminant validity , multilevel model , structural equation modeling , affective events theory , job performance , psychometrics , statistics , computer science , political science , developmental psychology , mathematics , job satisfaction , job attitude , internal consistency , programming language , law
In the present study we sought to clarify the functional distinctions between organization identity strength, organizational identification, and organizational commitment. Data were obtained from 10 948 employees of a large steel manufacturer. First, confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the discriminant validity of the three focal constructs. Next, drawing on research that suggests hierarchical differentiation may influence individuals' conceptual frame of reference, we examined each focal construct's measurement equivalence across three hierarchical levels (officers, n = 1,056, middle‐management, n = 1049, workers, n = 1050). Finally, multigroup structural equation modeling was used to simultaneously estimate the between‐group correlations between turnover intention and organization identity strength, organizational identification, and organizational commitment. Results indicated that (a) the measures used to reflect the three focal constructs were empirically distinct, (b) the focal constructs were conceptually equivalent across hierarchical levels, and (c) the pattern of correlations with turnover intention was different for employees with management responsibilities versus workers with no management responsibility. The present findings suggest perceptions of a strong organizational identity, organizational identification, and organizational commitment may influence employees' turnover intention in unique ways, depending on their hierarchical level within the organization. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.