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Block 2 Unit 4 Organisational Commitment

1. Examine the personal characteristics that influence organisational commitment.

Several personal attributes are related to commitment, such as work-oriented life interests, achievement motivation, and a sense of competence. These attributes suggest an exchange between the employee and the organisation.

2. Examine the work situation and organisational factors that affect organisational commitment.

• Commitment is linked to work characteristics such as task autonomy, feedback, and job challenge, promotion opportunities, training and mentoring opportunities, and supportive and considerate leadership.
• Commitment is influenced by perceptions of organisational justice. Both distributive justice (perceived fairness of compensation) and procedural justice (perceived fairness of the means used to determine compensation) are related to organisational commitment. However, procedural justice is a better predictor of employee commitment than distributive justice.

3. Examine organisational culture as an antecedent to organisational commitment.

Organisational culture, which is a complex pattern of assumptions, beliefs and values, can influence commitment. A strong, positive culture can increase commitment, while a toxic culture can decrease it.

4. Discuss the ways in which work experiences affect organisational commitment.

• Positive work experiences, such as early job challenges, opportunities for growth, and supportive relationships with colleagues and supervisors, tend to increase organisational commitment.
• Initial work experiences are very important in shaping organisational commitment.

5. Describe the consequences of organisational commitment.

• Organisational commitment is a useful measure of organisational effectiveness.
• It can predict organisational outcomes such as performance, turnover, absenteeism, tenure, and the achievement of organisational goals.
• High levels of commitment are associated with elevated levels of customer satisfaction and sales achievement.

6. Discuss the ways of building employee commitment to the organisation.

• Organisations can build commitment by offering:
  • Training and development opportunities to help employees grow and sharpen skills.
  • Profit-sharing plans where employees receive bonuses based on company profitability.
  • Opportunities for cross-functional skills development and internal mobility.
  • Fair procedures in decision making, demonstrating genuine care for employee well-being.
  • Create a sense of shared mission and values

7. Describe the significance of organisational commitment as an organisational variable.

Organisational commitment is considered a significant factor in organisational performance and effectiveness. It is a major determinant of whether employees will contribute to the organisation or look for other opportunities. High levels of commitment are linked to many positive outcomes like customer satisfaction and sales achievement.

8. Explain the meaning of organisational commitment. Describe the components of commitment using Meyer & Allen’s multidimensional model.

• Organisational commitment is defined as an individual’s feelings about the organisation as a whole. It is the psychological bond an employee has with an organisation, related to goal congruence, behavioural investments and allegiance to the organisation.
• Meyer and Allen's model describes three components of commitment:
  • Affective commitment: This is the employees' emotional attachment to the organisation, their identification with it, and their involvement.
  • Continuance commitment: This refers to the employee's perception of the costs associated with leaving the organisation.
  • Normative commitment: This is the employee's perception of their obligation to remain with the organisation.

9. Distinguish between organisational commitment and job satisfaction.

• Job satisfaction is a response to a specific job or facet of a job, while commitment is a more global response to the organisation.
• Job satisfaction can be viewed as a micro work attitude, whereas organisational commitment has a macro orientation toward the organisation.
• Organisational commitment tends to be more consistent over time than job satisfaction. Day-to-day events can affect job satisfaction more than overall commitment.

10. Examine the personal characteristics that influence an employee’s commitment to his/her organisation.

Personal attributes such as work-oriented life interests, achievement motivation and a sense of competence are all related to commitment. These factors also relate to the exchange relationship between an employee and their organisation.

11. Describe the work situation and organisational factors that have an impact on organisational commitment.

• Commitment is influenced by work characteristics such as task autonomy, feedback and job challenge, promotion opportunities, training, mentoring and supportive leadership.
• It's also influenced by perceptions of organisational justice, including distributive and procedural justice, with procedural justice being a better predictor of organisational commitment.

12. Give an account of the outcomes of organisational commitment.

Organisational commitment is an important measure of organisational effectiveness. It can predict positive organisational outcomes such as performance, reduced turnover and absenteeism, longer tenure, and the achievement of organisational goals. When aggregated, high levels of commitment are associated with increased customer satisfaction and sales achievement.

13. What steps can an organisation take to ensure that employees stay committed to them?

Organisations can foster commitment by:

• Providing training and development opportunities.
• Offering fair compensation and a transparent performance management system.
• Creating a supportive work environment with strong leadership.
• Ensuring organisational justice, particularly fair procedures in decision making.
• Developing a strong organisational culture with clearly communicated values and goals.
• Offering profit-sharing plans that align employee and company interests.
• Creating opportunities for employee involvement and cross-functional mobility

14. Discuss the role of promotional and training opportunities in determining employee commitment.

Promotional and Training Opportunities

Promotional Opportunities: The availability of opportunities for advancement within an organisation significantly impacts employee commitment. When employees see clear paths for career progression, they tend to be more committed.

• Internal promotion policies can boost commitment. If employees perceive that the company prefers to promote from within, they are more likely to be committed. This can be because it suggests that their hard work and dedication will be rewarded with upward mobility within the organisation.
• However, promotions based on performance are likely to have a stronger impact on commitment than promotions based on seniority. This highlights the importance of meritocracy in fostering commitment.

Training and Mentoring Opportunities: Providing employees with training and development opportunities also significantly increases their commitment.

• Training sends a message that the organisation values employees and is invested in their growth. This can lead to increased organisational commitment.
• When employees have access to training, social support for training, and perceive the benefits of training, their commitment is enhanced. This suggests that it is not enough to merely offer training; it should also be relevant, well-supported, and perceived as beneficial by employees.
• Training can also affect an employee’s motivation for future training, further bolstering their commitment to the organisation.

15. How do employee perceptions of organisational justice influence their commitment?

Employee Perceptions of Organisational Justice

Organisational justice is a critical factor influencing employee commitment. It is essentially the perception of fairness in an organisation, and can be broken down into two main dimensions:

• Distributive Justice: This refers to the perceived fairness of the amount of compensation and other outcomes that employees receive. While important, it is not as strong a predictor of organisational commitment as procedural justice.
• Distributive justice is more strongly associated with personal outcomes such as pay satisfaction.
• Procedural Justice: This refers to the perceived fairness of the processes and procedures used to determine those outcomes. Procedural justice has a stronger impact on organisational commitment than distributive justice. When employees feel the processes used are fair, they are more likely to feel an obligation towards the organisation.
• Fair procedures show that the organisation cares about the well-being of employees. This can motivate employees to remain with the organisation.

The impact of perceived fairness: When employees feel that the organisation is treating them fairly (both in terms of rewards and procedures), they are more likely to be committed. This creates a sense of trust and mutual respect, which are important components of a committed workforce.