Richard T. Mowday

The Measurement of Organizational Commitment.

Abstract This paper summarizes a stream of research aimed at developing and validating a measure of employee commitment to work organizations. The instrument, developed by Porter and his colleagues, is called the Organizational Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ). Based on a series of studies among 2563 employees in nine divergent organizations, satisfactory test-retest reliabilities and internal consistency reliabilities were found. In addition, cross-validated evidence of acceptable levels of predictive, convergent, and discriminant validity emerged for the instrument. Norms for males and females are presented based on the available sample. Possible instrument limitations and future research needs on the measurement and study of organizational commitment are reviewed.

Reflections on the study and relevance of organizational commitment

Abstract In this essay, I reflect on the progress that has been made in the study of organizational commitment in the twenty-five years since I first became actively involve in research on this topic. In addition, given that important changes have taken place in the employment relationship in the intervening years, the question of whether employee commitment to organizations is as relevant a concept for managers today as it seemed to be twenty-five years ago is addressed.

The Psychology of the Withdrawal Process: A Cross-Validation Test of Mobley's Intermediate Linkages Model of Turnover in Two Samples

A study investigating the validity of Mobleys (1977) model of the intermediate linkages in the turnover decision process among employees working in two diverse settings yielded a pattern of results generally consistent with the model. However, except for commitment to the organization, regression analyses failed to double cross-validate either within or between samples.

Commitment Propensity, Organizational Commitment, and Voluntary Turnover: A Longitudinal Study of Organizational Entry Processes:

This study investigated the effect of commitment propensity (a summary concept comprising personal characteristics and experiences that individuals bring to the organization) on the development of subsequent organizational commitment and voluntary turnover In a field setting where situational influences on attitudes and behaviors were very strong, commitment propensity, measured prior to the individual s entry into the organization, predicted subsequent organizational commitment, measured at five points in time after entry. Moreover; initial commitment, measured at time of entry, predicted voluntary turnover across a 4-year period. The implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Introduction to Special Topic Forum: The Future of Work Motivation Theory

The topic of employee motivation plays a central role in the field of management—both practically and theoretically. Managers see motivation as an integral part of the performance equation at all levels, while organizational researchers see it as a fundamental building block in the development of useful theories of effective management practice. Indeed, the topic of motivation permeates many of the subfields that compose the study of management, including leadership, teams, performance management, managerial ethics, decision making, and organizational change. It is not surprising, therefore, that this topic has received so much attention over the past several decades in both research journals and management periodicals. Whereas several recent articles have examined how far we have come in researching work motivation, this special forum focuses on where we are going. That is, we ask the questions: What is the future of work motivation theories? What are the critical questions that must be addressed if progress in the field is to be made? What is the future research agenda? How can we extend or modify current models of work motivation so they continue to be relevant in the future? And where are entirely new models of motivation needed to further our understanding of employee behavior and job performance in contemporary organizations? To understand where the field is going, however, we must first understand where it has been. This introduction represents an overview of the field of work motivation from a theoretical standpoint and lays the foundation for the articles that follow. The term motivation derives from the Latin word for movement (movere.) Building on this concept, Atkinson defines motivation as “the contemporary (immediate) influence on direction, vigor, and persistence of action” (1964: 2), while Vroom defines it as “a process governing choice made by persons . . . among alternative forms of voluntary activity” (1964: 6). Campbell and Pritchard suggest that

The Influence Of Task and Personality Characteristics On Employee Turnover and Absenteeism Incidents

The article presents a study which examined the influence of task and personality characteristics on employee turnover and absenteeism incidents. The subjects of the study were 569 employees workin...

Employee characteristics as predictors of turnover among female clerical employees in two organizations

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between employee characteristics and turnover in organizations. Female clerical employees (N = 314) in two regional offices of a large insurance company were administered Jacksons Personality Research Form ( Jackson, D. Personality research form manual. Goshen, New York: Research Psychologists Press, 1967 ) and a questionnaire that included measures of several demographic characteristics. Turnover data were collected up to 8 months following administration of the questionnaire. Relationships were found between employee characteristics and turnover in both samples. Compared with stayers, leavers in both offices were characterized by lower tenure in the company, a higher need for autonomy, and a lower need for harm avoidance. These results held up under double cross-validation. Several suggestions were made concerning the direction of future research on turnover.

The interaction of personality and job scope in predicting turnover

Abstract The interaction of employee personality characteristics and job scope in the prediction of turnover was studied. One hundred and nine individuals employed as machine operators (low-scope job) and scientific and technical personnel (high-scope job) within a large manufacturing organization were the sample. No direct relationships were found between personality characteristics and turnover for the combined sample of employees on high- and low-scope jobs. When correlational analyses were carried out within job scope samples it was evident that personality and job scope interacted in predicting turnover. For employees on high-scope jobs, turnover was negatively related to the need for achievement and positively related to the need for affiliation. Turnover was negatively related to the need for affiliation among employees on low-scope jobs. The implications of these findings for future research on turnover were discussed.

If Special Issues of Journals Are Not So Special, Why Has Their Use Proliferated?

In the context of the increasing publication of special issues in scholarly journals, this commentary critically examines the arguments in favor and against special issues. Both arguments are found to be wanting. Possible reasons for the proliferation of special issues are offered, as are thoughts on when special issues may be more useful.

Lions, tigers and alley cats: HRM's role in Asian business development

Abstract The purpose of this article is to summarize and integrate the articles appearing in this special issue within the unique economic and social context of East and Southeast Asia. The countries in this region of the world exhibit great diversity along various dimensions of economic and social development. Although they face many common challenges with respect to human resource management, the unique context and culture of each country dictates the specific nature of the challenge. A common theme running through the challenges facing each country is the need for change brought about by the Asian economic recession of the late 1990s and the need be competitive in the global marketplace.