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Affective, Normative and Continuance Commitment: Can the ‘Right Kind’ of Commitment be Managed?
Author(s) -
Iverson Roderick D.,
Buttigieg Donna M.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of management studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.398
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1467-6486
pISSN - 0022-2380
DOI - 10.1111/1467-6486.00138
Subject(s) - organizational commitment , continuance , affective events theory , normative , social psychology , psychology , absenteeism , set (abstract data type) , job satisfaction , job performance , job attitude , political science , computer science , law , programming language
This study examines the multi‐dimensionality of organizational commitment: affective, normative and continuance (including the sub‐components of low perceived alternatives and high personal sacrifice), and how these are differentially related to a set of antecedents and consequences (i.e. turnover intentions, absenteeism and acceptance of change). The results, based on a sample of 505 Australian male fire‐fighters, indicate that organizational commitment is best represented by the four‐factors of affective, normative, low perceived alternatives and high personal sacrifice. In addition, employees experience different personal, job‐related and environmental causes of commitment depending on whether they feel they want to, ought to, or need to remain with the organization. Further, not all facets of commitment enhanced organizational effectiveness, with affective being the most beneficial (i.e. employees are less likely to leave, be absent and are more accepting of change) and low perceived alternatives being the most detrimental (i.e. less accepting of change). The implications of these findings for the management of desirable forms of commitment are discussed.