Individual and organization: Modeling commitment in public organizations

The research reported in this dissertation combines qualitative and quantitative methods in the building and testing of a model of organizational commitment in public organizations. Repertory Grid Interviews were used to ground the concept of commitment in the experiences and perceptions of public employees. The interviews contributed to a confirmation of the multi-dimensional nature of organizational commitment and the development of a survey instrument designed specifically for use in public organizations. The interviews were also the basis for building a model for individual and organization that was tested with survey research and structural equation analysis. 2000 surveys were mailed to a stratified random sample of employees in 12 agencies of Florida State government; 828 usable surveys were returned, for a response rate of 41.4%.; The results of the structural equation analysis confirmed the basic structure of the model, but also suggested several revisions which help to identify the most important antecedents of each of the dimensions of organizational commitment (identification, exchange, and affiliation), and the impact of each dimension on key outcomes (extra-role behaviors and turnover intent). Commitment was found to be a function of the structure and practice of the organization, with little or no relationship to individual characteristics, such as tenure and education. On the other hand, organizational commitment was found to have a significant impact on desire to remain and turnover intent, with affiliation commitment being the major determination of extra-role behaviors. The research contributes significantly to a better understanding of the concept of organizational commitment and how it defines the relationship of individual and organization.