Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The Multidimensional Nature of Continuance Commitment: Commitment Owing to Economic Exchanges Versus Lack of Employment Alternatives

  • Published:
Journal of Business and Psychology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this investigation was to develop a multidimensional measure of continuance organizational commitment, specifying dimensions for continuance commitment based on the perception of beneficial economic exchanges versus the perception of low job alternatives.

Design/Methodology/Approach

Three studies, which surveyed employees from various organizations, were conducted in order to find support for our conceptualization. Study 1 involved the development of new survey measures. Study 2 examined the ability of two dimensions of continuance commitment to predict related job perceptions, while Study 3 examined the ability of our scales to predict supervisor-reported performance.

Findings

We generally found that continuance commitment based on economic exchanges was related favorably to work phenomena, such as task performance and citizenship behaviors, while continuance commitment based on low job alternatives was related unfavorably. Importantly, the two dimensions predicted outcomes incremental to affective and normative commitment.

Implications

Our findings suggest both a positive and negative side to continuance commitment. Therefore, continuance commitment based on economic exchanges should be fostered, while continuance commitment based on low job alternatives should be minimized. Organizations may be able to leverage these results by increasing employee awareness of the benefits available to them and by providing support to employees who feel trapped in the organization.

Originality/Value

Our study provides a new way of conceptualizing the dimensions of continuance commitment and highlights the practical benefit of doing so. When conceptualized as such, it is clear that continuance commitment aids in the prediction of organizational phenomena incremental to affective and normative commitment.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. An anonymous reviewer pointed out that it would have been beneficial to include a job satisfaction facet that we expected to not relate to COC:EE. We agree that this would have been beneficial and is something that could be addressed in future research.

  2. We thank an anonymous reviewer for suggesting that we test for interactive effects.

References

  • Adams, J. S. (1965). Inequity in social exchange. In L. Berkowitz (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 2, pp. 267–299). New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Allen, N. J., & Meyer, J. P. (1990). The measurement and antecedents of affective, continuance, and normative commitment to the organization. Journal of Occupational Psychology, 63, 1–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Allen, N. J., & Meyer, J. P. (2000). Construct validation in organizational behavior research: The case of organizational commitment. In R. D. Goffin & E. Helmes (Eds.), Problems and solutions in human assessment (pp. 285–314). Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

  • Allen, T. D., & Rush, M. C. (1998). The effects of organizational citizenship behavior on performance judgments: A field study and a laboratory experiment. Journal of Applied Psychology, 83, 247–260.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Becker, H. S. (1960). Notes on the concept of commitment. American Journal of Sociology, 66, 32–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bentein, K., Vandenberg, R., Vandenberghe, C., & Stinglhamber, F. (2005). The role of change in the relationship between commitment and turnover: A latent growth modeling approach. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90(3), 468–482.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bishop, J. W., & Scott, D. K. (2000). An examination of organizational and team commitment in a self-directed team environment. Journal of Applied Psychology, 85, 439–450.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Borman, W. C., & Motowidlo, S. J. (1993). Expanding the criterion domain to include elements of contextual performance. In N. Schmitt & W. Borman (Eds.), Personnel selection in organizations (pp. 71–98). New York: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carmines, E. G., & McIver, J. P. (1981). Analyzing models with unobserved variables: Analysis of covariance structures. In G. W. Bohmstedt & E. F. Borgatta (Eds.), Social measurement: Current issues (pp. 65–115). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, A. (2007). Commitment before and after: An evaluation and reconceptualization of organizational commitment. Human Resource Management Review, 17, 336–354.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen-Charash, Y., & Spector, P. E. (2001). The role of justice in organizations: A meta-analysis. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 86, 278–321.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Colquitt, J. A. (2001). On the dimensionality of organizational justice: A construct validation of a measure. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86, 386–400.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Colquitt, J. A., Conlon, D. E., Wesson, M. J., Porter, C. O. L. H., & Ng, K. Y. (2001). Justice at the millennium: A meta-analytic review of 25 years of organizational justice research. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86, 425–445.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cooper-Hakim, A., & Viswesvaran, C. (2005). The construct of work commitment: Testing an integrative framework. Psychological Bulletin, 131, 241–259.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cropanzano, R., & Ambrose, M. L. (2001). Procedural and distributive justice are more similar than you think: A monistic perspective and a research agenda. In J. Greenberg & R. Cropanzano (Eds.), Advances in organizational justice (pp. 119–151). Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crossley, C. D., Bennett, R. J., Jex, S. M., & Burnfield, J. L. (2007). Development of a global measure of job embeddedness and integration into a traditional model of voluntary turnover. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92, 1031–1042.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Eisenberger, R., Huntington, R., Hutchison, S., & Sowa, D. (1986). Perceived organizational support. Journal of Applied Psychology, 71, 500–507.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fabrigar, L. R., Wegener, D. T., MacCallum, R. C., & Strahan, E. J. (1999). Evaluating the use of exploratory factor analysis in psychological research. Psychological Methods, 4, 272–299.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Folger, R., & Cropanzano, R. (1998). Organizational justice and human resource management. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jaros, S. J. (1997). An assessment of Meyer and Allen’s (1991) Three-Component Model of organizational commitment and turnover intentions. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 51, 319–337.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jaros, S. J. (2007). Measurement issues in the Meyer and Allen model of organizational commitment. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Academy of Management Annual, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

  • Johnson, R. E., Groff, K. W., & Taing, M. U. (2009). Nature of the interactions among organizational commitments: Complementary, competitive or synergistic? British Journal of Management, 20, 431–447.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kang, B., Twigg, N. W., & Hertzman, J. (2010). An examination of social support and social identity factors and their relationship to certified chefs’ burnout. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 29, 168–176.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kline, R. B. (2005). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ko, J.-W., Price, J. L., & Mueller, C. W. (1997). Assessment of Meyer and Allen’s Three-Component Model of organizational commitment in South Korea. Journal of Applied Psychology, 82, 961–973.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liden, R. C., Wayne, S., Kraimer, M. L., & Sparrowe, R. T. (2003). The dual commitments of contingent workers: An examination of contingents’ commitment to the agency and the organization. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 24, 609–625.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Locke, E. A. (1976). The nature and causes of job satisfaction. In M. D. Dunnette (Ed.), Handbook of industrial and organizational psychology (pp. 1293–1349). Chicago: Rand McNally.

    Google Scholar 

  • Loi, R., Hang-yue, N., & Foley, S. (2006). Linking employees’ justice perceptions to organizational commitment and intention to leave: The mediating role of perceived organizational support. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 79, 101–120.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Major, D. A., Kozlowski, S. W. J., Chao, G. T., & Gardner, P. D. (1995). A longitudinal investigation of newcomer expectations, early socialization outcomes, and the moderating effects of role development factors. Journal of Applied Psychology, 80, 418–431.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McGee, G., & Ford, R. (1987). Two (or more?) dimensions of organizational commitment: Reexamination of the continuance and affective scales. Journal of Applied Psychology, 72, 642–648.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meyer, J. P., & Allen, N. J. (1984). Testing the side-bet theory or organizational commitment: Some methodological considerations. Journal of Applied Psychology, 69, 372–378.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meyer, J. P., & Allen, N. J. (1997). Commitment in the workplace: Theory, research, and application. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyer, J. P., Becker, T. E., & Van Dick, R. (2006). Social identities and commitments at work: Toward an integrative model. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 27, 665–683.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meyer, J. P., Becker, T. E., & Vandenberghe, C. (2004). Employee commitment and motivation: A conceptual analysis and integrative model. Journal of Applied Psychology, 89, 991–1007.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meyer, J. P., & Herscovitch, L. (2001). Commitment in the workplace: Toward a general model. Human Resource Management Review, 11, 299–326.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meyer, J. P., Stanley, D. J., Herscovitch, L., & Topolnytsky, L. (2002). Affective, continuance, and normative commitment to the organization: A meta-analysis of antecedents, correlates, and consequences. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 61, 20–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell, T. R., Holtom, B. C., Lee, T. W., Sablynski, C. J., & Erez, M. (2001). Why people stay: Using job embeddedness to predict voluntary turnover. Academy of Management Journal, 44, 1102–1121.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mobley, W. H., Horner, S. O., & Hollingsworth, A. T. (1978). An evaluation of precursors of hospital employee turnover. Journal of Applied Psychology, 63, 493–522.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mowday, R. T., Koberg, C. S., & McArthur, A. W. (1984). The psychology of withdrawal process: A cross-validational test of Mobley’s intermediate linkages model of turnover in two samples. Academy of Management Journal, 27, 79–94.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Muthén, L., & Muthén, B. (2002). Mplus user’s guide. Los Angeles: Muthén & Muthén.

    Google Scholar 

  • Organ, D. W. (1997). Organizational citizenship behavior: It’s construct clean-up time. Human Performance, 10, 85–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pierce, J. L., Gardner, D. G., Cummings, L. L., & Dunham, R. B. (1989). Organization-based self- esteem: Construct definition measurement and validation. Academy of Management Journal, 32, 622–648.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Paine, J. B., & Bachrach, D. G. (2000). Organizational citizenship behaviors: A critical review of the theoretical and empirical literature and suggestions for future research. Journal of Management, 26, 513–563.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Podsakoff, N. P., Whiting, S. W., Podsakoff, P. M., & Blume, B. D. (2009). Individual- and organizational-level consequences of organizational citizenship behaviors: A meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 94, 122–141.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Powell, D. M., & Meyer, J. P. (2004). Side-bet theory and the three-component model of organizational commitment. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 65, 157–177.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rhoades, L., & Eisenberger, R. (2002). Perceived organizational support: A review of the literature. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87, 698–714.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rhoades, L., Eisenberger, R., & Armeli, S. (2001). Affective commitment to the organization: The contribution of perceived organizational support. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86, 825–836.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Seashore, S. E., Lawler, E. E., Mirvis, P., & Cammann, C. (1982). Observing and measuring organizational change: A guide to field practice. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shore, L. M., Tetrick, L. E., Lynch, P., & Barksdale, K. (2006). Social and economic exchange: Construct development and validation. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 36(4), 837–867.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shore, L. M., Tetrick, L. E., Shore, T. H., & Barksdale, K. (2000). Construct validity of measures of Becker’s side bet theory. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 57, 428–444.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sinclair, R. R., Leo, M. C., & Wright, C. (2005). Benefit system effects on employees’ benefit knowledge, use, and organizational commitment. Journal of Business and Psychology, 20, 3–29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Somers, M. J. (1995). Organizational commitment, turnover and absenteeism: An examination of direct and interaction effects. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 16, 49–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spector, P. E. (1985). Measurement of human service staff satisfaction: Development of the job satisfaction survey. American Journal of Community Psychology, 13, 693–713.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stinglhamber, F., Bentein, K., & Vandenberghe, C. (2002). Extension of the three-component model of commitment to five foci. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 18(2), 123–138.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stinglhamber, F., & Vandenberghe, C. (2003). Organizations and supervisors as sources of support and targets of commitment: A longitudinal study. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 24, 251–270.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thibaut, J., & Walker, L. (1975). Procedural justice: A psychological analysis. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tyler, T. R. (1989). The psychology of procedural justice: A test of the group value model. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57, 830–838.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van den Bos, K., & Lind, E. A. (2002). Uncertainty management by means of fairness judgments. In M. P. Zanna (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 34, pp. 1–60). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vandenberghe, C., Bentein, K., Michon, R., Chebat, J., Tremblay, M., & Fils, J. (2007). An examination of the role of perceived support and employee commitment in employee-customer encounters. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(4), 1177–1187.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, L. J., & Anderson, S. E. (1991). Job satisfaction and organizational commitment as predictors of organizational citizenship and in-role behaviors. Journal of Management, 17, 601–617.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yao, X., Lee, T. W., Mitchell, T. R., Burton, J. P., & Sablynski, C. S. (2004). Job embeddedness: Current research and future directions. In R. Griffeth & P. Hom (Eds.), Understanding employee retention and turnover (pp. 153–187). Greenwich, CT: Information Age.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zwick, W. R., & Velicer, W. F. (1982). Factors influencing four rules for determining the number of components to retain. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 17, 253–269.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., PCD 4118G, Tampa, FL, 33620-7200, USA

    Meng U. Taing, Benjamin P. Granger, Kyle W. Groff, Erin M. Jackson & Russell E. Johnson

Authors
  1. Meng U. Taing
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Benjamin P. Granger
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kyle W. Groff
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Erin M. Jackson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Russell E. Johnson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Meng U. Taing.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Taing, M.U., Granger, B.P., Groff, K.W. et al. The Multidimensional Nature of Continuance Commitment: Commitment Owing to Economic Exchanges Versus Lack of Employment Alternatives. J Bus Psychol 26, 269–284 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-010-9188-z

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-010-9188-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation