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JOMO KENYATTA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND
TECHNOLOGY
CBD CUMPUS
MSC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
MHR 3103: EMPLOYEE RESOURCING
EMPLOYEE COMMITMENT IS IMPORTANT TO ORGANIZATIONS. DISCUSS
PRESENTED BY: GROUP SIX
1. MARTIN SIMIYU HD 312 1354/09
2. EVELYLINE AGALA HD 312 0373/09
3. SAMUEL KINUTHIA HD 312 1346/09
4. SUSAN NKOIBONI HD 312 1616/09
5. CAROLINE GATERU HD 312 1351/09
6. AHMED GALGALO HD 312 1643/09
7. ZAITUNI KIOKO HD 312 1407/09
8. ANDREW ONDARI HD 312 1403/09
PRESENTED TO: ABOK M.A
DATE: 18 TH NOVEMBER 2009
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Over the last ten years, the study of commitment has advanced in many different
directions. A variety of disciplines have adopted the topic as a theme in their
research and these have offered fresh and significant insights. These recent
advances include new approaches to both the conceptualization of employee
commitment and the particular human resource practices intended to increase it.
Current research concerning employee commitment highlights the pitfalls of viewing
commitment as a one-dimensional construct that can be enhanced by a particular
human resource policy. This assumes that a particular practice, for example offering
flexible working arrangements or more training, will have a significant and beneficial
effect on employee commitment. Unfortunately, in practice it is not that simple
because there is no single solution. All employees’ wants and needs cannot be
addressed by a single policy.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………32. Definition of terms……………………………………………………………………..53. Types of commitment………………………………………………………………….94. Factors affecting employee commitment……………………………………………..115. Benefits of employee commitment…………………………………………………...166. Negative effects of low commitment……………………………………………...….177. Measuring employee commitment……………………………………………….......188. Ways of enhancing employee commitment……………………………………….…189. Developing a commitment strategy……………………………………………….....2610. Recommendations……………………………………………………………………2811. Summary & conclusion………………………………………………………………2912. References…………………………………………………………………………....32
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Introduction
The effective functioning of an organization highly depends on the commitment of its
employees. In fact, the commitment of employees may be a key factor that
determines the success of a company in the modern world since, in the situation of
the growing competition and the constant implementation of new technologies a
company needs to have well-qualified and reliable personnel to maintain its position
in the market. At the same time, the effectiveness and productivity of work of
employees still remain the major factors that can contribute to the progress of the
company. On the other hand, nowadays it is obvious that financial stimuli solely can
hardly motivate employees to work more effectively and productively. In such a
situation, employees commitment turns to be of a paramount importance since it is
due to the high commitment of employees they can perform positive results of their
work, increase its effectiveness and productivity, while low commitment leads, as a
rule, to poor results of the functioning of the entire organization.
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DEFINATION OF TERMS.
COMMITMENT
Meyer & Allen 2001 define commitment as is a stabilizing force that acts to
maintain behavioural direction when expectancy/equity conditions are not met and do
not function.
An obliging force which requires that the person honor the commitment even in the
face of fluctuating attitudes and whims. (Brown 1996)
The relative strength of an individual’s identification with and involvement in a
particular organization (Mowday et al 1979)
According to Salancik (1977) commitment is a state of being in which an individual
becomes bound by his action to beliefs that sustain his activities and his own
involvement
Allen & meyer,1990, commitment is a psychological state that binds the individual to
the organization.
EMPLOYEE COMMITMENT
It is the psychological bond of an employee to an organization, the strength of which
depends on the degree of employee involvement, employee loyalty and belief in the
values of the organization.
As defined by Poter (1974) Employee commitment is the relative strength of the
individual's identification with and involvement in a particular organization. It consists
of three factors:A strong desire to remain a member of the organization;
A strong belief in, and acceptance of, the values and goals of the organization
A readiness to exert considerable effort on behalf of the organization
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MODELS OF COMMITMENT
A THREE MODEL CONCEPTUALIZATION OF ORGANIZATION COMMITMENT.
This model of organizational commitment model was developed by Meyer and Allen.
According to the model, organizational commitment reflects at least three general
themes.
1. Affective commitment to the organization
2. Continuance Commitment – The perceived cost associated with leaving it
3. Normative Commitment- The obligation to remain with it.
Affective Commitment
It’s the employees emotional attachment to, identification with and involvement in the
organization.
Employees with a strong affective commitment continue employment with the
organization because they want to.
Continuance Commitment
The individual commits to the organization because he/she perceives high costs of
losing organizational membership including economic costs (such as pension
accruals) and social costs (friendship ties with co-workers) that could be incurred.
The employee remains with the organization because he/she “has to”.
I t refers to an awareness of the costs associated with leaving the organization. The
potential cost of leaving an organization include the threat of wasting the time and
effort spent acquiring non transferable skills, losing attractive benefits, giving up
seniority – based privileges or having to uproot family and disrupt personal
relationships.
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It also develops as a result of lack of alternative employment opportunities.
Employees in this category remain because they need to.
NORTMATIVE COMMITMENTS
Refers to a feeling of obligation to continue employment . Employees in this category
remain in the organization because they feel they ought to.
Organization can develop normative commitment by providing reward in advance
e.g. paying college tuition. Normative pressures may also make an individual feel that
they ought to remain within the organization.
Acknowledging these investments makes employees feel a sense of obligation to
reciprocate by committing themselves to the organization until the debt has been
paid .
One important point is that not all forms of employee commitment are positively
associated with superior performance (Meyer & Allen, 1997). For example, an
employee who has low affective and normative commitment, but who has high
continuance commitment is unlikely to yield performance benefits. The main reason
such an employee remains with an organisation is for the negative reason that the
costs associated with leaving are too great.
THE HIGH COMMITMENT MODEL. ( IN STRATEGIC HRM.)
This model embraces workforce commitment and identification with the organizations
values and goals. The main features of high commitment model are:
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1. Development of career ladders and emphasis on trainability and commitment as
highly characteristic of employees at all levels in the organization.
2. A high level of functional flexibility with the abandonment of potentially rigid job
descriptions.
3. The reduction of hierarchies and the ending of status differentials.
4. Heavy reliance on the team structure for dissemination of information (team
building) structure work and problem solving.
5. Job design as something management consciously does in order to provide
jobs which have a considerable level of intrinsic motivation.
6. A policy of no compulsory layoff or redundancies and use of permanent
employee with possible use of temporary workers to cushion fluctuation in the
demand for labour.
7. New forms of assessment and pay system and more specifically merit pay profit
sharing
8. A high involvement of employees in the management of quality.
CONCEPTUALISATION OF COMMITMENT: MODEL DEVELOPED BY O’REILLY
AND CHATMAN. (1986)
O'Reilly and Chatman(1986) developed their multidimensional framework on the
basis of the assumption that commitment represents an attitude towards the
organization. For them, commitment takes on three distinct forms, which they labeled
1. Compliance
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2. Identification
3. Internalization
Compliance occurs when attitudes and corresponding behaviors are adopted in
order to gain specific rewards. E.g being very considerate towards people so that
you get that promotion
Identification occurs when an individual accepts influence to establish or maintain a
satisfying relationship
Relationship / Internalization occurs when influence is accepted because the
attitudes and behaviors’ one is being encouraged to adopt are congruent with
existing values. Employees thus become committed to organizations which they
share value e.g. an organization that encourages integrity is likely to win the
commitment of an individual who believes in integrity.
TYPES OF COMMITMENT .
O’Malley (2000) contends that a review of the commitment literature produces five
general factors which relate to the development of employee commitment:
Affiliative Commitment:
An organization’s interests and values are compatible with those of the employee,
and the employee feels accepted by the social environment of the organization.
Associative Commitment:
Organizational membership increases employees’ self-esteem and status. The
employee feels privileged to be associated with the organisation.
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Moral Commitment:
Employees perceive the organization to be on their side and the organization evokes
a sense of mutual obligation in which both the organization and the employee feel a
sense of responsibility to each other. This type of commitment is also frequently
referred to in the literature as Normative Commitment.
Affective commitment:
Employees derive satisfaction from their work and their colleagues, and their work
environment is supportive of that satisfaction. Some researchers (eg Allen & Meyer,
1991) suggest that this is the most important form of commitment as it has the most
potential benefits for organizations. Employees who have high affective commitment
are those who will go beyond the call of duty for the good of the organization. In
recent literature this form of commitment has also been referred to as ‘engagement’
and is the form of commitment that is most usually measured by organizations.
Structural commitment:
Employees believe they are involved in a fair economic exchange in which they
benefit from the relationship in material ways. There are enticements to enter and
remain in the organization and there are barriers to leaving. This type of commitment
is also frequently referred to in the literature as Continuance Commitment.
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FACTORS AFFECTING EMPLOYEE COMMITMENT.
The workplace is a dynamic field and to remain competitive, employee commitment
is important..The following factors affect employee comittemnt:
Workplace values.
If employees believe that their organization values quality products they will engage
in behaviors’ that will contribute to high quality. If employees are convinced that their
organization values participation they will be more likely to feel as though their
participation will make a difference.
They will thus be motivated and be more willing to seek solutions and make
suggestions to contribute to the organization success.
Subordinate – supervisor interpersonal relationship.
Supervisors behavior include sharing appropriate information, allowing mutuality of
influence, recognizing and rewarding good performance and not abusing the
vulnerability of others . The extent to which the supervisor displays these behaviors
will thus largely determine subordinate commitment level
Job characteristics.
The extent that a job is structured to provide regular feedback and autonomy as well
as a sense of task completion.
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An increase in perceived control strengthens emotional bonds with an organization. A
heightened sense of personal control has a positive consequence for employee’s
attitudes and behaviors’ at work.
When tasks are Intrinsically satisfying, employees tend to be more committed.
Commitment is low when employees are given repetitive routine tasks to complete.
A job that allows a high degree of autonomy and the absence of close supervision
increases commitment.
Demographics
AGE.
A range of demographic variables have been found to be related to employee
commitment (Mathieu & Zajac, 1990). For a variety of reasons, age has been found
to be a positive predictor of employee commitment. As Mathieu & Zajac (1990)
suggest, the older employees become, the less alternative employment options are
available. As a result, older employees may view their current employment more
favourably. Dunham et al. (1994) suggest older employees may be more committed
because they have a stronger investment and greater history with their organization.
GENDER:
With regard to gender, a number of studies (eg Mathieu & Zajac, 1990) have
reported women as being more committed than men. This is typically explained by
women having to overcome more barriers than men to get to their position in the
organization.
MARITAL STATUS
Marital status has also been shown to relate to commitment, with married employees
usually showing more commitment (Mathieu & Zajac, 1990). However, it is suggested
that the reason for this is because married employees will typically have greater
financial and family responsibilities, which increases their need to remain with the
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organization. Note, however, that this refers to structural commitment (or continuance
commitment) in that the cost associated with leaving the organization increases
commitment to the organization. As mentioned previously, structural commitment
does not necessarily relate to increased performance.
Recruitment Procedures
O’Malley (2000) suggests that organizations need to pay more attention to
addressing employees’ social need to affiliate and belong, in order to create
commitment, the organization must have the right sort of employees in the first
instance.
Employees’ feelings of belonging start to develop long before employees join the
organization. The following information should be shared with employee to enhance
commitment
share details about the organization
provide employees with help and support throughout the recruitment and
selection process
convey the interests and values that the organization shares with employees.
Organizations need to be attractive to the right sort of people; thus the initial contact
between the organization and the prospective candidate is very important.
DEVELOPING AN EMPLOYER BRAND.
As Troy (1998) points out, increasingly organizations are attempting to communicate
with prospective employees in a coherent manner by developing an employer brand.
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The brand should condense the basic nature of the organization, what its values are
and what it would be like to work there. The principal purpose of the brand is to
efficiently bring employers and employees together in order to establish a
relationship. Thus, a good brand should convey both the unique benefits of the
organizational environment and the type of person who is likely to do well in that
setting. The organization must then ensure that it delivers these promises to its
employees, or its efforts will have been wasted.
Employers should, therefore, devote a portion of the selection process to assessing
cultural fit.
Met Expectations
Employees will be more committed if there is a good match between what the person
is looking for in a job, and what the job provides . Commitment will be greater when
employees’ experiences on the job match their expectations. Unmet expectations are
a source of low morale and dissatisfaction. Such expectations usually relate to the
type of work employees are given to do and the opportunities they receive for training
and development.
Factors affecting commitment. By Kochan and dyan as cited by Armstrong
2005.
1. Strategic level
-supportive business strategies
-Top management value of commitment
-Effective voice of HR in strategy making
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Supportive business strategies may include activities that increase employee
involvement thus reinforcing commitment. When top management is commited to its
employees the employees too become commited. Fair human resource policies e.g a
policy of promotion based on merit will also increase commitment
2. Hr policy level
-staffing based on employment stabilization
- investing on training and development
-continent compensation that reinforces cooperation
Training increases employees efficiency making them more commited because they
enjoy what they do.(Affective commitment)
3. Workplace level
- Selection based on high standards
-Job design and team work
-employee involvement in problem solving
-climate of cooperation and trust.
Selecting people with the right skills for a job will ensure that the employee remains
commited as they will be efficient in their duties. Efficiency increases commitment.
Designinh jobs e.g allowing flexi time,job enlargement,job enrichment and job
rotation ensures that monotony is kept at bay and commitment is enhanced
Other factors that affect employee commitment by Purcell et al
(2003 in Armstrong ,2005) include
i. Received training last year
ii. Are satisfied with career opportunities
iii. Are satisfied with performance appraisal system
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iv. Think managers are good in people management (Leadership)
v. Find work challenging
vi. Think their form helps them achieve a work-life balance
vii. Are satisfied with communication or company performance
Benefits of employee commitment
High level of employee commitments means that employees are really enthusiastic
about their job and, their performance will be better as well as the effectiveness and
productivity of their work higher.
Employee commitment also evokes a profound interest of an employee to his/her
work. This means that he/she enjoys the job he/she does. Consequently, the level of
employees’ satisfaction will be high if they are really committed to their work.
Employee commitment may be also cost saving since committed employees are
highly motivated that means that they do not need increasing financial rewards for
their work, though it does not necessarily mean that employees should not receive
financial rewards at all, but the expenses of the organization at this point may
decrease.
The performance benefits accrued from increased employee commitment have been
widely demonstrated in the literature. To list but a few, these include:
i. increased job satisfaction (Armstrong 2005)
ii. increased job performance (Mathieu & Zajac, 1990)
iii. increased total return to shareholders .
iv. increased sales (Barber et al., 1999)
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v. decreased employee turnover (Cohen, 1991) decreased intention to leave,
vi. decreased intention to search for alternative employers (Cohen, 1993)
vii. decreased absenteeism (Cohen, 1993, Barber et al. 1999)
Employee commitment should be viewed as a business necessity. Organizations
who have difficulty in retaining and replacing competent employees will find it hard to
optimize performance. There are not only the immediate expenses of the recruitment
process, but other hidden costs such as management time and lost productivity as
new employees take time to become effective in their roles.
Commitment also has the following effects:
1. I t results in self directed( self initiave) application to do the job
2. regular attendance,
3. nominal supervision
4. a high level of effort
5. it increases the intention to stay- loyalty
NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF LOW EMPLOYEE COMMITMENT.
Low commitment of employees may lead to negative results and undermine the
normal functioning of an organization or, at any rate, decrease the effectiveness of
work of employees considerably. The low employee commitment has a number of
disadvantages which deteriorate the work of each employee and the entire
organization (O’Malley 2000).
Low commitment leads to the low level of interest of employees in their work.
Consequently, if employees are not sufficiently interested in their work they will
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naturally work worse than they can. In other words, the low commitment decreases
the effectiveness and productivity of work for employees are not really interested in
their work and its outcomes. Naturally, in such a situation, they can hardly be
interested in a positive performance of the organization they work for.
MEASURING EMPLOYEE COMMITMENT .
This can be done through an attitude survey, employee satisfaction survey,
employee commitment survey and performance appraisals. Questioners are usually
administered to collect relevant data that management later uses when deciding
ways of increasing employee commitment.
Sample of a questioner attached (Annex 1)
WAYS OF ENHANCING EMPLOYEE COMMITMENT
Organizations can use various strategies to increase employee commitment. This
strategies include:
Induction and Training
The induction programme should be the final step of the recruitment and selection
process. A good induction programme will make new employees more familiar with
and more at ease within the organization. Employees enter the organization with an
assumption of compatibility and should be welcomed.
Relationships with Managers
This refers to how the quality of the relationship between managers and their
employees relates to the development of commitment.
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Employees’ commitment reflects their day to day contacts with their line managers
about their job, and the way in which objective targets are set. Effective
communication on job-related issues is a key ingredient in securing individual
performance. To a great extent, individual line managers are responsible for ensuring
that these maintenance behaviours occur.
With poor management, the most well developed organizational programme can
break down at the point of transmission.
Relationships with Colleagues
Emotional attachment to colleagues in the workplace is an important element of
commitment, though It is not enough on its own. Unless there is occasion for frequent
and rewarding interaction, stronger feelings of belonging that can bind employees to
the organization are unlikely to emerge. Organizations that want to build high levels
of commitment should look for ways to build this through group activities both in and
out of work
Group Membership
To build commitment, being a member of a particular organization must not only
satisfy employees’ social need to affiliate and belong, but must also create a sense of
collective identity that differentiates the group from other organizations.
There are many situational features that contribute to a sense of group membership.
The more exposure that employees have to these features, the more likely they will
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be to feel like a part of the group and to incorporate that membership into their
concept of who they are.
Organizational Justice and Trust
It is also argued that employees evaluate their experiences at work in terms of
whether they are fair and reflect a concern on the part of the organization for the well-
being of the employees (Meyer, 1997). Treating employees fairly, communicates the
message that management is commitment to the employees. This suggests that
organizations wanting to foster greater commitment from their employees must first
provide evidence of their commitment to their employees.
When there is trust, employees are willing to suspend judgement and defer to the
authority of others. In addition, trust permits organizational flexibility because a
payback need be neither immediate nor of equivalent value. O’Malley (2000)
identifies four areas in which employees’ sense of trust in the employer can be
increased:
i. Growth: As most employees want to be more proficient in their job, a good
way to instil trust is to attend to employees’ development needs.
ii. Work-Life balance: Most employees would like organizations to allow greater
personal time when needed.
iii. Individual accommodation: Acts of organizational flexibility or benevolence
toward employees.
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iv. Health and Safety: Organizations that are committed to protecting employees’
health and safety are more likely to be trusted.
Promotion
Policies and practices concerning promotion can also affect commitment. . Among
those who are considered for promotion, the outcome of the decision is likely to have
an effect on commitment.
But, for some, the perception of fairness in the decision-making process might be
even more important. This suggests that organizations should communicate clearly
how their decisions were made and why those who did not succeed were not
suitable.
Work-Life Balance
A key issue emphasized by research, especially in recent years, is the extent to
which employees perceive they are able to achieve the right balance between home
and work. Organizations are beginning to recognize this, and are making more
concerted efforts to introduce a host of programmes intended to ease employees’
burdens. These include initiative such as: flexible work arrangements; child care;
time off policies; elderly care; healthcare; information and counseling; and
convenience services to name but a few.
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Job Satisfaction
How happy an employee is in a job has profound effects on behaviour and
commitment. In relation to commitment, job satisfaction and work-life satisfaction are
very important. Job satisfaction is an enormous area; however, to be concise a
satisfying job typically has three properties:
i. It has intrinsically enjoyable features: Mathieu & Zajac (1990) found that the
strongest correlation with commitment were obtained for job characteristics,
particularly job scope (enrichment).
ii. It provides an opportunity for growth and development.
iii. It makes employees feel effective in their roles (that they can positively
influence organizational outcomes).
Pay and Reward
As mentioned previously, employees may remain with an organization because there
are constraints against leaving and incentives for staying. It is important for
organizations to structure the economics of the relationship in a way that will not
obstruct commitment. One of the reasons to stay in a relationship is because it
makes sense economically. Pay makes continuation of the employment relationship
worthwhile because there is mutual dependence.
PSYCHOLOGICAL CONTRACT
Schein cited by (Armstrong 2005) defines commitment as attachment and loyalty
Psychological contract is the degree people are committed to the organization
(Schein 1965). It depends on
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1. The degree to which their own expectations of what the organization will
provide to them and what they owe the organization in return matches what the
organization expectations are of what it will give and get in return.
2. The nature of what is actually to be exchanged e.g. money in exchange for
time at work , social need satisfaction and security in exchange for hard work and
loyalty
Armstrong (2004) defines psychological contract as a system of beliefs which
encompasses on one hand the actions employees belief are expected of them and
what response they expect in return from their employer and on the other hand the
behavior employers expect from their employees. It is implicit and dynamic
ROLE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL CONTRACT IN DEVELOPING EMPLOYEE
COMMITMENT, (ARMSTRONG) 2005
1. During recruitment interviews present the unfavorable as well as the
favorable aspects of a job in a realistic job preview.- This will enable the
candidate have a clear and achievable expectation of the organization
and thus avoid setting very high expectations that the organization is
unable to meet,leading to low / decreased commitment
2. In induction programmes communicate to new starters the
organizations personnel policies and procedures and its core values
indicating to them the standards of performance expected – this
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enables them to remain committed in achieving the expected
performance
3. Issue and update employee hand books and intranet entries which
reinforce the message delivered in induction programmes.
4. Develop performance management process plans which spell out how
continued improvement of performance can be achieved mainly by self
managed learning
5. Use training and management development programmes to underpin
values that define performance expectations.
6. Ensure thorough manager and team leader training that managers and
team leaders understand their role in managing the employment
relationship through such processes as performance management and
team leadership – managers should be very committed so as to pass
the same message of commitment to employees.
7. Encourage a maximum amount of contact between managers and team
leaders and their team members to achieve mutual understanding.
8. Adopt a general policy of transparency ensuring that on all matters
which affect them employees know what is happening and the impact it
will make on their employment
9. Develop personal procedures covering grievance handling, discipline ,
promotion and redundancy. Ensure they are implemented fairly and
consistently.
10. Develop and communicate personnel policies covering the major areas
of employment, development, reward and employee relations.
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DEVELOPING HR PRACTICES THAT ENHANCE COMMITMENT.
According to Armstrong 2005 the following ten (10) practice contribute to increase of
employee commitment.
1. Advise in methods of communicating the values and aims of management and
achievements of the organization, so that employees are more likely to identify
with it as one they are proud to work for.
2. Emphasize to management that commitment is a two way process employees
cannot be expected to be committed to the organization unless management
demonstrates that it is committed to them.
3. Impress on the management the need to develop a climate of trust by being
honest with people, treating them fairly justly and consistently, keeping its
word and showing willingness to listen to the comments and suggestions
made by employees
4. Develop a positive psychological contract by treating people as stakeholders
rely on consensus and cooperation rather than control and coercion and
provision of opportunities for learning and career progression.
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5. Advise on and assist in the establishment of partnership agreements with
trade unions which emphasize unity of purpose, common approaches to
working together and the importance of giving employees a voice.
6. Recommend and take part in the achievement of single status for all
employees so that there is no an “us and them “culture.
7. Encourage management to develop a policy of employment security and
ensure steps are taken to avoid involuntary redundancies
8. Develop performance management process that provide for the alignment of
organizational and individual objectives.
9. Advise on means of increasing employee identification with the company
through rewards related to organizational performance (profit sharing or gain
sharing).
10.Develop job engagement: identification of employees with the job they are
doing through job design process that aim to create higher levels of job
satisfaction.
DEVELOPING A COMMITMENT STRATEGY.
A commitment strategy is based on the high commitment model described in
chapter………….. It aims to develop commitment using the following approaches.
1. Developing ownership.
I t involves involving employees in those decisions that affect them so that they feel
they own, i.e. Create a feeling of ownership among employees, listening to their
ideas. Employees should feel they are genuinely accepted by the management.
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2. Communication programmes
Commitment can only be gained if people understand what they are expected to
commit to. Thus in sufficient attention should be paid when delivering messages so
that right information is passed. Proper use of newsletters, briefing groups videos
and notice boards should be emphasized.
3. Leadership development.
Commitment is enhanced if managers can gain the confidence and respect of their
teams. Management training should therefore be used to increase the competence of
managers thus making them efficient enough to cultivate a sense of commitment in
their teams.
4. Developing a sense of excitement.
Concentrating on the intrinsic motivating factors e.g. achievement, responsibility and
recognition creates job excitement, which leads to commitment. Management should
thus give their staff the scope to use their skills and abilities and design jobs which
encourage creativity and innovativeness, avoid monotony
5. Use of career development program
They help employee develop caters related skills and recognize the developmental
need they posses. If used effectively if creates commitments it send the signal that
the employer cares about the employee career success and thus deserves employee
commitment.
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RECOMMENDATIONS
Having examined the concept of employee commitment our group gave the following
recommendations that would enhance the commitment of employee in the
workplace.
Fair profit shairing based on an established policy that seeks to make employees feel
that the management is commited to them, regular team building activities and
designing jobs so that there is flexi time for those employees who may not be in a
position to work between 8am – 5pm.
Providing such incentives e.g. Medical scheme, housing scheme, car loans, furniture
loans, pension scheme and increasing the number of year’s employees can work in
an organization even after reaching the retirement age sends the message that the
organization is committed to its employees and so the employees in turn will seek to
be committed to the organization.
Another way of enhancing employee commitment is by conducting exit interviews,
since the interviewee will be leaving the organization it is believed that they will
reveal loopholes in the management or job design that contribute to low morale
among employees. The management can then use the information to put necessary
measures in place to enable employees develop commitment in their work.
Management should also ensure that confidentially is practiced especially where
there is sensitive information concerning employees. Such information may include
health status, marital issues,financial position of employees among many others.
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The following values should also be practiced.
1. Fairness
It implies the elimination of one’s feelings , prejudices and desires to achieve a
proper balance between conflicting interest
2. Trust
To nurture commitment employers must create an environment of trust. If
employers wish to develop and maintain trust they should do what they say
will do, be consistent ,maintain confidence ,be a role model of
behaviour,encourage employee involvement, allow people to make we
decisions that affect their work, allow people to make mistakes without fear or
ridicule, learn from mistakes.
3. Concern for employees.
Employees should be regarded as people not factors of production. Employers
should provide job security train and develop employees, be flexible to
accommodate employee issues , be open and honest and allow employees to
have a life outside work.
Today’s employees have a strong sense of self worth- they recognize their
value and want their employers to as well
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8.0 Summary
This paper has presented a review of the current thinking about defining and creating
employee commitment, which is an evolving topic currently receiving considerable
attention. It has been identified as a multi-dimensional concept which has important
impacts on an organization through its effects on employee performance, turnover
and absence, and via its influence on customer attitudes to the bottom line.
Commitment can be divided into five components, each of which are created by
different factors. These are defined as follows:
Affiliative: The compatibility of the employee’s and the organization’s interests and
values.
Associative: The employee’s perception of belonging to the organization.
Moral: The sense of mutual obligation between the employee and the organization.
Affective: The feeling of job satisfaction experienced by the
employee.
Structural: The belief that the employee is engaged in a fair economic exchange.
Job satisfaction is an important component of commitment, but should not be
perceived as equivalent to it. Commitment has more positive outcomes for the
organization in terms of employee performance. Job satisfaction can be promoted by
making work as enjoyable as possible, providing growth and development
30
opportunities and making provisions for staff to assist them in balancing their work
and personal lives.
Once established, commitment has to be maintained by ensuring staff have clear
roles and responsibilities, and an understanding of what is required of them in their
jobs. Good communication and openness throughout the organization is vital,
especially in times of change. The role of line managers should be recognized and
positively supported, as it is a vital component in the creation and maintenance of
employee commitment.
9.0 Conclusion
It is possible to conclude that employee commitment is a very significant factor
contributing to the positive organizational outcomes. It may increase productivity,
effectiveness of work and motivation of employees, while low commitment leads to
the opposite outcomes. At the same time it is necessary to maintain high level of
employee commitment through leadership, development, empowerment, and
supervision.
.
Radical organizational changes often lead to reduced commitment caused by
increased job insecurity, increased stress, decreased trust and job redesign. Since
organizational commitment has strong correlation with job performances it is very
important to reinforce it by applying the right human resources polices
31
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