Questions: Organizational Commitment

Question 1

An employee stays at their company primarily because they would lose their pension and seniority if they left. According to Meyer and Allen's model, this reflects...

• A. Affective commitment
• B. Continuance commitment
• C. Normative commitment
• D. A combination of all three components

Answer: (B)

Continuance commitment is based on the perceived costs of leaving — investments (side bets) that would be lost and the perceived lack of alternatives. The employee is committed not because they want to stay (affective) or feel they should stay (normative) but because leaving would be too costly. This form of commitment often produces the least desirable outcomes because the employee may be physically present but psychologically disengaged.

Question 2

Affective commitment and continuance commitment are equally strong predictors of job performance.

• T. True
• F. False

Answer: False

Meta-analyses consistently show that affective commitment is a significant positive predictor of job performance, organizational citizenship behavior, and attendance, while continuance commitment is weakly or even negatively related to these outcomes. Employees who stay because they want to (affective) bring energy and engagement; employees who stay because they have to (continuance) may do the minimum required. This asymmetry has important implications: organizations should cultivate affective commitment through meaningful work and supportive leadership rather than relying on golden handcuffs.

Question 3

How does organizational commitment differ from job satisfaction, and why is the distinction important?

Model answer: Job satisfaction is an attitude toward the job itself — an evaluation of the work, pay, supervision, and other job facets. Organizational commitment is an attitude toward the organization as a whole — a bond reflecting identification with and attachment to the employer. The distinction matters because an employee can be satisfied with their job but uncommitted to the organization (they like the work but would leave for a better offer), or committed to the organization but dissatisfied with specific job facets (they are loyal but frustrated with their current role).

The practical importance is that satisfaction and commitment have partly different antecedents and consequences. Commitment is more strongly predicted by organizational-level factors (culture, leadership, perceived organizational support) while satisfaction is more influenced by job-level factors (task characteristics, supervision). Commitment is a stronger predictor of turnover because it captures attachment to the organization, not just to the current job. An employee might leave a satisfying job at a company they are not committed to, while staying in an unsatisfying role at a company they are deeply committed to.