Organizational commitment among public service employees

Abstract

The present study examined the correlates and predictors of commitment among sixty-four employees of a public service organization. organizational commitment was defined as an identification with and interest in the overall effectiveness and success of the department. The data were obtained as part of an attitudinal organizational-climate questionnaire voluntarily completed by front-line employees. Correlation coefficients indicated that the following were positively and significantly related to commitment at the .01 level: promotion satisfaction, job characteristics,, communication, leadership satisfaction, job satisfaction, extrinsic exchange, intrinsic exchange, extrinsic rewards, and intrinsic rewards. Surprisingly, the only variable which did not correlate significantly with commitment was pay satisfaction. Regression analyses and t-tests revealed that intrinsic and extrinsic rewards were significantly, yet equally, predictive of commitment. Similar analyses showed that variables related to exchange theory and felt responsibility theory were significantly predictive of commitment, although exchange variables were able to explain a significantly greater amount of the variance. Implications of these findings and others for felt responsibility theory and exchange theory are discussed. The results of this study provided further support for the literature suggesting that both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards are important. However, the contention that extrinsic rewards are more important determinants of bluecollar commitment was not supported.