| The organizational commitment of the U.S. Army's officer corps declined significantly from 1996 and 1998. Was this a lagged effect of earlier reduction in the size of the officer corps? Downsizing creates a stressful environment and potentially affects officers' attitudes toward the Army. This study looks at which dimensions of downsizing are negatively associated with Army officers' organizational commitment and their career expectations and which human resource practices will improve these negative attitudes created by downsizing.;This study first identified five dimensions associated with downsizing---high job stress, career uncertainty, job insecurity, increased work hours, and promotion uncertainty---and assessed their relationship with U.S. Army officers' organizational commitment and career expectations. Second, this study examined the relationships between the impact of downsizing, high commitment HR practices---training, work design (empowerment), supervisor support, pay satisfaction, and work and family balance---organizational commitment, and career expectations in a downsizing environment. In addition, the relationship between officers' organizational commitment and their career expectations was investigated.;Using Army officer survey data, this study found that organizational commitment was negatively related to high job stress, career uncertainty, job insecurity, increased work hours, and promotion uncertainty, but positively related to training, work design (empowerment), pay satisfaction, and work and family balance. Career expectations were negatively related to career uncertainty and promotion uncertainty, but positively related to work design (empowerment) and work and family balance. In addition, a positive relationship was found between organizational commitment and career expectations. |
