Chapter 2: Relevant Literature
2.9 Consequences of Employee Commitment
Park (2005) advanced two strong reasons to emphasize commitment of teachers in education fields. First, commitment is an internal force in teachers who seek greater responsibility, variety and challenges. Second, reform and development in education act as an external force that directs higher standards, greater accountability and dependence on teachers’ combined efforts, as well as the sustained efforts of the teachers within each school (Park, 2005). Therefore, in the following section, the consequences of strong employee commitment to the organization are discussed on three different levels. It is discussed at the level of the individual employee, at the level of workgroups, and at the level of the organization overall.
2.9.1 Consequences for Individual Employee
Focusing on the individual level of analysis, high employee commitment to the organization may increase employees’ effort on the job, while reducing absenteeism, turnover, and tardiness.
Positive consequences: Mowday et al. (1982) discussed the positive effects of high levels of employee commitment to the organization, where it may be linked with positive outcomes for individuals, such as a positive self-image with enhanced feelings of belonging, security, efficacy, goals and purposes in life (Mowday et al., 1982).
According to Schlechty (1990), goals indicate the intended consequences of what is done, and the purposes suggest what must be done today (Schlechty, 1990). These are associated with more direction and purpose in employees’ lives with the security that comes from their attachments to stable organizations. This commitment gives committed employees stability and a sense of belonging. Moreover, identification with their contributory role in the organization creates a positive self-image. In the absence of other attachments in employees’ lives, such as having no family or no social relationships outside of work, commitment to an organization may become more important in shaping self-image and the feelings of belonging and contribution.
Other positive consequences where committed employees put forth effort is continued membership and loyalty to their organizations. Therefore, they are rewarded more generously than uncommitted employees. In addition, the more visible the committed employee’s position in the organization, the more likely the employee is to be attractive to other organizations (Mowday et al., 1982).
Negative consequences: Mowday et al. (1982) acknowledged that commitment may have negative consequences and may result in significant opportunity costs for
committed employees. For example, highly committed employees may reduce their chances of mobility and career advancement where these benefits are attached to new jobs assuming new related challenges to it. Committed employees may miss the possible benefits that can be achieved by moving to another organization. They may lose their opportunities for advancement and growth depending on the organizational promotion policies that are associated with mobility within the organization (Mowday et al., 1982).
Negative consequences may also result in stress and tension in employees’
families and their social relationships, particularly when their jobs are highly demanding; this is because of the investment of their time and energy in the organization at the expense of their families and other life obligations. For some, social relationships may never be developed, and for others, family ties and friendships may be threatened as they invest heavily in work-related activities. When attempting to cope with conflicting demands from an organization and their social lives, several negative consequences may occur (Mowday et al., 1982).
2.9.2 Consequences for Work-Groups
Work-groups in organizations have been studied as a source of employees’
attachment to the organization. However, the implications of having groups of committed members in the larger organization have other implications for group processes and effectiveness.
Positive consequences: According to the literature, organizations that have groups composed of committed employees are likely to experience greater membership effectiveness and stability because highly committed employees are less likely to be absent or leave the organization (Schlechty, 1990).
Furthermore, more positive consequences of having these groups may result in greater work-group effectiveness and higher levels of group cohesiveness with high task interaction and social involvement. Moreover, when these committed groups believe in the organization’s goals and values, they may provide themselves with a common focus and group goal. This will lead to greater commitment compared to widely distributed isolated individuals who believe in organization values (Mowday et al., 1982).
Negative consequences: Reduced adaptation and creativity are often identified as the negative consequences of having work-groups with high levels of commitment (Mowday et al., 1982). It was concluded by Wright (2009) that these employees might be less open to ideas or values that question the existing goals of the organization (Wright, 2009 ). In addition, the stability of membership characteristics of committed work-groups may act as a barrier to creativity and to new ideas that were brought to the group by new members. This could lead to intragroup conflict when the goals of the work-group are viewed as incongruent by the majority of group members (Mowday et al., 1982).
Moreover, high levels of commitment to an organization by one or more members may be viewed as a threat to the group. Thus, such highly committed members may be isolated by others in the group as a way of influencing or changing their beliefs (Mowday et al., 1982).
2.9.3 Consequences for Organizations
The outcomes commonly associated with highly committed employees may have both benefits and costs for their organizations.
Positive consequences: Organizations composed of highly committed members are more likely to be effective, which is as a result of the lower levels of turnover, absenteeism, and tardiness where there are increased efforts from members in pursuit of the organization’s goals (Angle & Perry, 1981). Organizations composed of highly committed members may be more attractive to individuals from outside the organization. Employees of these organizations describe it in positive terms leading to a greater ability of the organization to attract non-organization members of high- quality employees (Mowday et al., 1982).
Negative consequences: Organizations composed of highly committed members may suffer from lower innovation, creativity, and adaptation as these highly committed members are less likely to question policies and recognize strategic opportunities that involved leaving past practices (Mowday et al., 1982).