This study attempted to test the predictive utility of two competing theoretical arguments present in the job commitment literature. The first argument, called the ''structural" approach, maintains that commitment is best explained by structural traits of workers. Such traits refer to objective characteristics of individuals and include, for example, the educational level of workers, their occupational length of service, and age. The second argument, labeled the "attitudinal'' approach, claims that various subjective characteristics of workers best account for commitment. Such attitudes include, for example, employees' perceptions of their satisfaction and role conflict within their jobs. Variables representing each theoretical argument, as well as scales measuring occupational and organizational commitment were used in a 1975 survey of a sample of park and forest rangers working in the state of Virginia. In 1980, follow-up data were collected from the original sample. Difference of mean tests, zero-order correlation, multiple correlation, and multiple regression were used in the data analysis. The results of this study show that both occupational and organizational commitment significantly declined among the rangers surveyed from 1975 to 1980. During the time period of the study, the structural variables accounted for a greater percentage of the variance explained in both occupational and organizational commitment. Implications for the two theoretical arguments are discussed. / Ph. D.

The present study evaluated a commitment-based intervention to improve adherence with a 10-day antibiotic regimen. Subjects were 48 undergraduate students receiving treatment from the Student Health Services at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Adherence was assessed by pill counts obtained in unannounced home visits 7 to 10 days after the regimen was prescribed and by subjects’ self-reports. Pre- and posttest measures of self- efficacy and outcome expectancy were completed by subjects. Significantly more subjects in the intervention group were adherent (85%) than in the control group (64%) when adherence was defined as at least 80% of medication taken and nonadherence defined as less than 80% or more than 110% of medication taken. Self-efficacy and outcome expectancy scores, when multiplied together for a predictive index, were significantly correlated with self-reported adherence at pre- and posttest, but were not correlated with pill count adherence. Self-efficacy at pre- and posttest and outcome expectancy at pretest were significantly correlated with self-reported adherence. Self-efficacy at posttest was significantly correlated with pill count adherence. An intervention designed to increase commitment to medical regimen resulted in greater adherence with a short-term regimen. Self-efficacy and outcome expectancy predicted self-reports of adherence behavior, but were poor predictors of objective measures of adherence. At best, self-efficacy appeared to reflect recent behavior. / Master of Science

The "psychological contract" is one of today's hottest buzzwords. In this ever­ continuing competitive and changing environment rapid organisational and managerial change is required to enable business and organisations to survive. The objective of this research was to investigate the extent to which opinions of employees about the various psychological contract dimensions can influence the overall employment relationship. A literature survey concerning the psychological contract construct, its dimensions and the variables affecting the psychological contract was done. A sample of 394 employees within an Auditing firm was obtained, from which three departments (Management Consulting, Auditing and Information Systems) employees opinions on the psychological contract dimensions were compared. The results of the empirical study indicated that there are comparable differences in employee's perceptions of the various dimensions of the psychological contract. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial Psychology)

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Today's economy demands that organisations' continually change the way they do business. The agility and efficiency with which organisations can implement change are vital in ensuring their continued competitiveness. Unfortunately, people's fear of the unknown results in a natural propensity to resist change. This presents significant challenges that management must overcome in order to implement desired changes to improve organisational efficiencies and overall stakeholder value. This study investigates the importance of employee commitment in implementing workplace change through a review of related literature and the analyses of primary data collected. The data was collected by means of a questionnaire that was sent to all employees within Media24 IT. The findings indicate a strong relationship between commitment and change. Especially one type of commitment displays significant importance with respect to workplace change, i.e. commitment that deals with an employee's emotional attachment to, identification with and involvement in the organisation. Additionally, certain drivers of commitment are investigated and conclusions presented. However, it is recommended that further research might be necessary. This is mainly due to the fact that the primary data collected could be seen as merely a reflection of the situation within a single organisation at a certain period in time. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Vandag se ekonomie vereis dat organisasies vooortdurend die wyse waarop hulle besigheid doen, moet verander. Die tempo en doeltreffendheid waarmee organisasies verandering kan implementeer, is van deurslaggewende belang vir hul voortgesette kompeterendheid. Ongelukkig veroorsaak mense se vrees vir die onbekende 'n natuurlike geneigdheid om verandering teen te staan. Dit bied aan bestuur aansienlike uitdagings wanneer gewenste veranderings om organisatoriese doeltreffendheid en belanghebberwaarde te verbeter, geimplemenleer moet word. Hierdie werkstuk ondersoek die belangrikheid van werknemers se toegewydheid ten opsigte van die implementering van verandering by die werkplek deur middel van 'n literatuurstudie en die analise van primere data wat ingesamel is. Die data is deur middel van 'n vraelys wat aan al Media24 IT se personeellede gestuur is, ingesamel. Die bevindings dui 'n sterk verwantskap tussen toegewydheid en verandering aan. Veral een tipe toegewydheid wat handel oor 'n werknemer se emosionele verbintenis tot die organisasie, asook identifikasie met en betrokkenheid by die organisasie, toon 'n sterk invloed op verandering in die werkplek. Addisioneel word sekere drywers van toegewydheid ondersoek en afleidings gemaak. Daar word egter aanbeveel dat verdere navorsing moontlik nodig mag wees. Dit is hoofsaaklik weens die feit dat die primere data wat ingesamel is, gesien kan word as 'n blote weerspieeling van die situasie binne 'n enkele organisasie op 'n gegewe tydstip.

Thesis (PhD (Industrial Pshychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / A study of the literature revealed that the content and the structure of several constructs that are used in research in the framework of Positive Organisational Behaviour are subject to doubt. It also became clear that the relationship between the constructs (servant leadership, trust, team commitment, and unit effectiveness) could profitably be investigated further. A study to obtain more clarity about these aspects was therefore planned and executed. In order to conduct this exploratory survey research, an electronic web-based questionnaire was used as the method of data gathering. The questionnaire was programmed and posted for a period of three weeks on the portal of the company where the survey was conducted. A total of 531 respondents from the vehicle sales division of the particular organisation participated in the study. Sales persons (n=417) who were working in 100 dealerships in the automobile business completed three questionnaires. The three questionnaires were the rater version of the Servant Leadership Questionnaire of Barbuto and Wheeler (a self-report version also exists), the Workplace Trust Survey developed by Ferres, the Team Commitment Survey of Bennett. The sales persons assessed the level of servant leadership of their superiors (sales managers) and their own levels of trust and of team commitment. The sales managers (n=114) assessed the effectiveness of the sales persons who reported to them by completing the Team Effectiveness Questionnaire developed by Larson and LaFasto. The Directors who were responsible for the marketing of the products of the organisation completed an internal questionnaire on the performance of the sales function in the dealerships. Answers were sought to five research questions, dealing with the content of the constructs, their configurations, their interrelations and biographic and organisational variables that could possibly have an influence on the constructs.

published_or_final_version / Sports Science / Master / Master of Science in Sports Science

This study investigated the effect of a goal-based intervention package on future goal-setting for junior secondary school students on their future goal commitment, self-efficacy, and values related to academic learning. Participants were 85 newly admitted secondary one students in a local mainstream secondary school in Hong Kong. A self-report questionnaire was used to measure the strength of future goal commitment, perceived instrumentality of learning, self-efficacy, intrinsic value and extrinsic value of academic-related activities. Results indicated that the future goal-setting intervention package is effective in guiding students set their future goals, and in strengthening their future goal commitment, perceived instrumentality of learning, self-efficacy and intrinsic value of academic-related activities. / published_or_final_version / Educational Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

The purpose of this research was to study the effect of the conflict settlement process on the degree of expressed organizational commitment of employees in a collective bargaining setting. The research was done in a basic industry in northern Alabama. The instrument included the Organizational Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ) developed by Mowday, Porter, and Steers. Demographic variables measured were education, age, and sex. Main effects variables were tenure; union membership; and self-described experience with and feeling toward grievance/arbitration as a category 1 grievant, category 2 grievant, witness, and supervisor. Data were analyzed with hierarchical multiple regression. No statistically significant results were found. Limitations included the economic climate of the region and the industrial relations climate of the company.

This dissertation is a descriptive, exploratory examination of professional commitment, organizational commitment, and conflict between those commitments in the internal audit profession. That conflict has been suggested in prior studies as the source of dysfunctional outcomes such as increased role stress, high turnover, decreased job satisfaction, and the exercise of improper judgment leading to audit failures. The descriptive aspect of this study deals with the development of a more comprehensive structural model of the factors and relationships involved in commitment and conflict than has been developed by previous research dealing with accountants. The exploratory aspect deals with the testing and refinement of the developed model utilizing the internal audit profession as the field of examination. The model developed in this study is derived from the synthesis of factors suggested by role theory, the concept of side bets, the cosmopolitan-local construct, and the concept of commitment as a process. This research utilizes a questionnaire administered to 205 practicing internal auditors in order to test 30 hypothesized relationships. Path analysis is used to determine the significant direct relationships between variables with a process of theory trimming being conducted in order to produce more parsimonious structural models. Indirect relationships between significant variables are identified and their redundant or suppressive nature determined. Explanations of these suppressive or redundant relationships are provided based on the theoretical considerations identified above. Such a determination and explanation of the redundant and suppressive indirect relationships involved in the commitment-conflict relationship has not been accomplished in earlier studies of the subject. Although the procedures used here do not support causal conclusions, the findings of this study indirectly provide evidence that conflict between the two commitments in the internal audit area is not to be considered inherent. The findings also suggest a possible undesirable relationship between organizational formalization and professional commitment.

This thesis highlights the lack of responsible commitment among emerging adults and proposes biblical analyses and direction toward fostering an authentic commitment in emerging adults in the context of mentoring and discipleship. The thesis begins with an introduction of the emerging adult and how this social construct developed among young people ages 18 to 29. Further, generational trends and patterns are explored to illuminate the lack of responsible commitment and to direct attention towards the need for biblically based solutions of formidable commitment. Specifically, David Powlison’s Comprehensive Internal framework is discussed and utilized in order to provide a structure and lens for critical biblical analysis. Additional resources are employed in order to provide specific direction for Christian mentoring and discipleship for emerging adults in order to foster and develop responsible commitment to forge the proper path to full adulthood.