A Profile of Profiles: A Meta-analysis of Organizational Commitment Profiles

Abstract

The majority of empirical commitment research has adopted a variable-centered approach, manifested by the few studies that have examined the predictors of commitment profiles. Responding to calls for a person-centered approach to the study of commitment, this study combined latent profile analysis (LPA) with meta-analysis to examine the antecedents and bases of commitment profiles, utilizing a large archival data set (K = 40; N = 16,052).

LPA results revealed five commitment profiles (weak, moderate, AC-dominant, AC/NC-dominant, and high). Meta-analytic results revealed that high levels of bases of commitment (e.g., organizational identification, allocentrism, psychological contract fulfillment) resulted in value-based profiles, and low levels resulted in weak commitment profiles. Additionally, value-based profiles were also associated with older, married, and less educated participants than the weak commitment profiles. And finally, the value-based profiles were associated with high coworker and leader satisfaction compared to the weak commitment profiles. Implications for the commitment and profile literature are discussed.