Kathleen Bentein

The role of change in the relationship between commitment and turnover: A latent growth modeling approach

Through the use of affective, normative, and continuance commitment in a multivariate 2nd-order factor latent growth modeling approach, the authors observed linear negative trajectories that characterized the changes in individuals across time in both affective and normative commitment. In turn, an individuals intention to quit the organization was characterized by a positive trajectory. A significant association was also found between the change trajectories such that the steeper the decline in an individuals affective and normative commitments across time, the greater the rate of increase in that individuals intention to quit, and, further, the greater the likelihood that the person actually left the organization over the next 9 months. Findings regarding continuance commitment and its components were mixed.

A closer look at the relationship between affective commitment to supervisors and organizations and turnover

We examined the relationships of affective organizational commitment and affective commitment to supervisors with turnover intentions and actual turnover, using three independent samples of employees. In Sample I (N = I72) and Sample 2 (N = I86), affective organizational commitment and affective commitment to supervisors were found to exert independent negative effects on turnover intentions. Moreover, in both samples, affective commitment to supervisors was more strongly related to turnover intentions when affective organizational commitment was low. In Sample 3 (N = 431), affective commitment to supervisors was the single significant predictor of actual turnover and interacted with affective organizational commitment such that its effect was stronger when affective organizational commitment was low. The implications of these findings for the understanding of the commitment―turnover relationship are discussed.

Organization-, supervisor-, and workgroup-directed commitments and citizenship behaviours: A comparison of models

The purpose of this study was to test two competing theoretical models explaining the relationships between affective commitment to the organization, the supervisor, and the workgroup, and organizational citizenship behaviours (OCB) specifically directed toward these foci. Drawing on cohesion theory, the first model stated that commitment to the organization is a key mediating variable intervening between “local” commitments and OCB (Hunt & Morgan, 1994). Building on Lewins (1943) field theory and the notion of psychological proximity, the second model proposed that commitment to the most proximal focus should mediate the effect of commitment to more distal entities on OCB. Data drawn from a sample of blue-collar workers and their supervisors in an iron and steel company indicated that the model of a proximal mediation best represented the relationships between commitments and OCB.

An Examination of the Cross-Cultural Validity of a Multidimensional Model of Commitment in Europe

This study examined the validity of a multidimensional model of employee commitment in Europe. The study was conducted using a sample of employees working for the translation department of the European Commission, located in Brussels. The survey questionnaire included measures of affective and normative commitment to the organization, the occupation, the work group, and Europe; continuance commitment to the organization and the occupation; and intent to quit. Participants (N = 580) pertained to 12 European nationalities and responded to a French or an English version of the questionnaire. Results showed that (a) for normative and continuance commitment, the organizational and occupational foci were not empirically distinguishable and that (b) both the commitment model and the relationships between commitment components and intent to quit were culturally invariant. On the other hand, evidence also emphasized the importance of considering multiple commitment components in predicting intent to quit. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Affective Commitment to Organizations and Supervisors and Turnover A Role Theory Perspective

Drawing from role theory and structural functionalism, we examined the temporal relationship between employees’ affective commitment to the organization (ACO) and affective commitment to the supervisor (ACS) and how these commitments affect turnover. We further examined perceived supervisor-organization value congruence as a moderator. In Study 1, a three-wave panel study (N = 317), we found longitudinal change in ACO to result in a temporal change in ACS, suggesting ACO precedes ACS. Study 2 (N = 272) extended this result by looking at the relationships of these commitments to turnover and perceived supervisor-organization value congruence as a moderator. ACS mediated a negative relationship between ACO and turnover. Moreover, ACO’s relationship with ACS and indirect relationship with turnover were stronger at high levels of supervisor-organization value congruence.

Why Some Employees Adopt or Resist Reorganization of Work Practices in Health Care: Associations between Perceived Loss of Resources, Burnout, and Attitudes to Change

In recent years, successive work reorganization initiatives have been implemented in many healthcare settings. The failure of many of these change efforts has often been attributed in the prominent management discourse to change resistance. Few studies have paid attention to the temporal process of workers’ resource depletion/accumulation over time and its links with workers’ psychological states and reactions to change. Drawing upon the conservation of resources theory, this study examines associations between workers’ perceptions of loss of resources, burnout, and attitudes to change. The study was conducted in five health and social service centres in Quebec, in units where a work reorganization project was initiated. A prospective longitudinal design was used to assess workers’ perceptions at two time points 12 months apart. Our findings are consistent with the conservation of resources theory. The analysis of latent differences scores between times 1 and 2 showed that the perceived loss of resources was associated with emotional exhaustion, which, in turn, was negatively correlated with commitment to change and positively correlated with cynicism. In confirming the temporal relationship between perceived loss of resources, occupational burnout, and attitude to change, this research offers a new perspective to explain negative and positive reactions to change implementation.

L’effet d’interaction des primes contingentes et de la motivation autonome sur la performance dans la tâche, contextuelle et adaptative

Cet article, en mobilisant la theorie de l’auto-determination, a pour objectif d’evaluer les effets moderateurs des primes contingentes individuelles sur la relation entre la motivation autonome et la performance au travail. Les resultats de l’etude, sur un echantillon de salaries d’une cooperative vinicole (N=135), montrent que la motivation autonome est positivement reliee a la performance dans la tâche, contextuelle et adaptative. Cette etude supporte egalement l’hypothese que les primes individuelles moderent positivement la relation entre la motivation autonome et les differentes facettes de la performance. Nous pouvons observer que c’est le niveau individuel de motivation autonome qui va determiner l’effet benefique, ou au contraire degradant, des primes individuelles sur la performance individuelle.

The future of workplace commitment: key questions and directions

ABSTRACT This position paper presents the state-of-the art of the field of workplace commitment. Yet, for workplace commitment to stay relevant, it is necessary to look beyond current practice and to extrapolate trends to envision what will be needed in future research. Therefore, the aim of this paper is twofold, first, to consolidate our current understanding of workplace commitment in contemporary work settings and, second, to look into the future by identifying and discussing avenues for future research. Representative of the changing nature of work, we explicitly conceptualize workplace commitment in reference to (A) “Temporary work”, and (B) “Cross-boundary work”. Progressing from these two themes, conceptual, theoretical and methodological advances of the field are discussed. The result is the identification of 10 key paths of research to pursues, a shared agenda for the most promising and needed directions for future research and recommendations for how these will translate into practice.

How does social isolation in a context of dirty work increase emotional exhaustion and inhibit work engagement? A process model

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the consequences of experiencing social isolation in a context of dirty work. Relying on an integration of the job demands-resources model (Schaufeli and Bakker, 2004) with the social identity approach (Ashforth and Kreiner, 1999), the paper posits that perceived social isolation prevents the development of defense mechanisms that could counter the occupational stigma, and thus tends to increase perceptions of stigmatization, and to decrease perceptions of the prosocial impact of their work. Through these two perceptions, perceived social isolation indirectly affects emotional exhaustion and work engagement. Design/methodology/approach Research hypotheses are tested among a sample of 195 workers in the commercial cleaning industry who execute physically tainted tasks. Findings Results support the research model. Perceived prosocial impact mediates the negative relationship between perceived social isolation and work engagement, and perceived stigmatization mediates the positive relationship between perceived social isolation and emotional exhaustion. Research limitations/implications This research contributes to the dirty work literature by empirically examining one of its implicit assumptions, namely, that social isolation prevents the development of coping strategies. It also contributes to the literature on well-being and work engagement by demonstrating how they are affected by the social context of work. Originality/value The present paper is the first to study the specific challenges of social isolation in dirty work occupations and its consequences.

Investigating occupational disidentification: a resource loss perspective

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of occupational disidentification through the lens of conservation of resources (COR) theory (Hobfoll, 1989, 1998). Occupational disidentification is conceptualized as a coping strategy, or an investment of resources to cope with poor perceived prestige of the occupation, which represents a threat to an individual’s resource: one’s self-esteem. However, occupational disidentification, as an avoidance coping strategy, generates a loss of cognitive and emotional resources leading to emotional exhaustion and, in turn, departure from the organization. Design/methodology/approach The research hypotheses are tested among two samples of employees working in health and social services (Study 1, N=544), and in home care services (Study 2, N=113). Measures of employees’ attitudes were collected at the same time, and turnover was collected 18 months (Study 1) and 12 months (Study 2) later. Findings Research hypotheses are all supported. Occupational disidentification partially mediates the occupational prestige-emotional exhaustion relationship, and emotional exhaustion partially mediates the occupational disidentification-turnover intention relationship. Perceived organizational support moderates the negative relationship between perceived occupational prestige and occupational disidentification. Originality/value The main contribution of this study is the conceptualization of occupational disidentification within the theoretical framework of COR. In that vein, the study provides: a deeper understanding of the mechanisms explaining and buffering occupational disidentification, and empirical evidence of the key role of emotional exhaustion to explain the consequences of occupational disidentification.