| This study examined the relationship between perceived leadership practices and employee organizational commitment in the North American automobile industry. A single research question was asked: What is the influence of perceived leadership practices on employee organizational commitment in the engineering segment of the North American automobile industry? The Organizational Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ), developed by Porter, Steers, Mowday, and Boulian (1974), was used to establish the organizational commitment of respondents. Leadership practices of engineering supervisors were established using the Leadership Practices Inventory - Observer (LPI-O) developed by Posner and Kouzes (1988). A demographic characteristics questionnaire was also included in the survey instrument. The respondents of the study were employees in the engineering department of a large North American automobile manufacturer.; The findings of this study indicated a statistically significant direct correlation between leadership practices and employee organizational commitment. A weak correlation suggested leaders also need to understand other factors influencing employee commitment to the organization. The findings of this study also indicated female respondents have higher levels of commitment to the organization than male respondents. Further, this study indicated employees, in a support role, have greater levels of commitment to the organization than employees who have direct product responsibility. |
