Review on Affective Commitment of Manager
Feng-lian Li
Business School of Shandong Polytechnic University, Jinan, China
(fenglianli@163.com)
Abstract - So far, research on affective commitment is
mostly concerning the employees, while specifically
concerning managers is very rare. Referencing the domestic
and foreign relevant research results, this paper tries to get
enlightenments from some sporadic empirical research, and
to summarize the factors affecting affective commitment of
manager, and to improve the level of affective commitment
of manager. This paper summarizes the definitions of
affective commitment in domestic and foreign firstly, and
then generalizes the antecedent variables of affective
commitment of managers from three aspects: managers’
personal factors, job factors and organizational factors.
Finally, this paper studies the ways of improving the
affective commitment of manager.
Keywords - Affective Commitment, Manager, Organizat
ional Commitment, Socialization of managers
first is affective commitment, which is the emotional need
for organization, if an employee with strong affective
commitment; he/she will always stay in the organization,
because he/she wants to do so. The second is continuous
commitment: associate with the cost of the members, that
is, if an employee wants to leave the company, he/she
must take the cost into the consideration. The third is
normative commitment: members with a strong normative
commitment will have a sense of responsibility to the
organization, then they want to continue to work in the
organization [6].
Scholars
widely
considered
the
affective
commitment can better predict employees’ behavior [6].
Therefore, scholars of China often more concerned about
the affective commitment dimension.
II. DEFINITION OF AFFECTIVE COMMTITMENT
I. INTRODUCTION
With the market economy gradually perfect in china,
manager market started to form, and played an
increasingly important role. When the enterprise
managers play the professionalization and specialization
advantage, how to make its loyalty conform to the need of
enterprise growth and development has become a big
problem of the enterprise at present. In many of the
research about loyalty, organizational commitment is the
most relevant and also the more researched concept. The
commitment of managers is essential for the survival and
effectiveness of large work organizations because the
fundamental responsibility of management is to maintain
the organization in a state of health necessary to carry on
its work [1]. In the absence of ownership as a motive for
such concern, modern organizations have of necessity
turned to the deliberate creation and protection of
committed elites [2] [3].
Mowday, Porter and Steers (1982) made a great
contribution on the initial research of organizational
commitment; they saw it as the willingness of an
employee to exert high levels of effort on behalf of the
organization, a strong desire to stay with the organization,
and an acceptance of its major goals and values [4].
Meyer and Allen argued that organizational
commitment included three indispensable aspects: the
____________________
The author would like to express her thank to the regional
innovation and sustainable development research base of
Shandong province humanities and social science
research base for the financial support.
Allen and Meyer (1997) definite affective
commitment from three perspectives as follows: ①
employees’ emotion attached to the organization, and had
a strong faith and acceptance to the organizational goals
and values; ② employees are willing to make the greatest
efforts for the benefit of the organization; ③ employees
have a strong desire to maintain their organization's
membership [6]. On the basis of Allen and Meyer's
research, Dunham made further explanation on affective
commitment. He defined affective commitment as the
degree of the members are involved in and participate in
the organization social interaction. It is the feelings of the
individual to organization, is an affirmation of the
psychological tendencies. It includes the target
recognition, employee pride, and voluntary sacrifices and
contributions on behalf of the organization, and other
ingredients. Employees’ performance of loyalty and hard
work to the organization, mainly due to the deep feelings,
rather than material interests.
Liu Xiao-ping verified the Allen and Meyer's
organizational commitment model, and he defined
affective commitment as: employee’ psychological
attachment to the enterprise, and they commit to the
enterprise because they are willing to do so [7]. Ling wenchuan et al defined affective commitment as: organization
recognition, deep feelings; willing to make a dedication to
the survival and development of the organization, do not
even care about the reward; will not leave the
organization in any temptation [8]. Employees with a high
degree of affective commitment have a strong affective
backing to the organization, whether from emotion or
behavior, they can integrated into the development of an
organization.
III. MANAGERS AFFECTIVE COMMITMENT
ANTECEDENTS
Up to now, most numerous had been studies of the
commitment of such professionals as scientists, nurses,
and teachers to their employing organizations [9] [10] [11],
and made a lot of meaningful results. But studies of
organizational commitment of managers are also very
small, and studies on affective commitment of managers
specifically are even more negligible. This paper draw on
relevant research results at home and abroad, trying to get
inspiration from some scattered empirical study, and sum
up the factors that affect managers’ affective
commitment, so as to improve the level of affective
commitment of managers.
Williams and Anderson (1991) believed that the
antecedent variables of affective commitment include: job
characteristics, organizational characteristics, and
individual characteristics and colleagues characteristics.
The job characteristics include: the challenge, difficulty,
consistency, clarity, and pressure, etc. The individual
characteristics include: personal preference, age, marital,
qualifications, tenure, education, gender, and household,
work experience, etc. Liu Xiaoping (1999) thought that
the main factors affecting affective commitment have five
categories: individual characteristics, job characteristics,
leadership and membership, roles characteristics,
organizational structure characteristics [7]. Combined with
the research of scholars, we can broadly classify the
antecedents of affective commitment into three
categories: individual factors, work and organizational
factors.
A. Individual Factors of Managers
According to the research literature, although due to
the difference in the object of study, research methods,
demographic variables and organizational commitment
may not be consistent [12], but overall, it has a great impact
on organizational commitment indisputably. Meryer and
Allen focuses on the affect of four categories of
antecedents such as demographic variables, individual
differences, work experience and opportunities/
investment on organizational commitment in element
analysis study. The results showed that age, tenure has a
weak positive correlation with three forms of
commitment. Among them, external control negatively
associate with affective commitment, while task selfefficacy is positively associate with affective
commitment. Sheldon (1971), Hrebiniak (1973), Steers
(1977) found that age is positively related to affective
commitment [9] [11]. Koch and Steers (1978), Sullivan
(1982), Mowday (1982) believes that education level was
negatively correlated with affective commitment [4]. Cui
Xun (2003) found that gender, age, education, marital
status, household, job, the number of departure and
promotion had significant effects on affective
commitment. Researchers generally believed that the
demographic characteristics, including age, educational
level, gender, marital status, work experience have some
influence on affective commitment. Li Jing and Zhong
Xiao-jing (2009) took the five factors as the background
variables; they analyzed the impact of the five
background variables on organizational commitment of
managers through multivariate analysis of variance
method. The analysis showed: the impact of gender,
marital status and age on affective commitment is not
significant; the situation of education and work
experience have a significant impact on affective
commitment. Sheldon (1971) found that affective
commitment is related to the individual factors such as the
years one in a organization, age and level of the status.
Lee (1971), Hrebiniak and Alutto (1973) also found that
organizational identification partially depends on years of
service in the organization.
Bruce Buchanan II (1974) divided the manager's
career into three stages: stage one is the first year, stage
two is the second through fourth year, stage three is the
fifth year and beyond by the empirical research on 279
managers of 3 industrial enterprises and 5 government
agencies. He verified the situation of work completed in
first year would seriously affect the development of
organizational commitment through empirical analysis.
The early work experience will influence the attitude of
individual to organization by career [13].. Most researchers
agree that the first year of employment is the most
important period to develop affective commitment, it is
necessary to further research how the expectations and
experience together affect affective commitment.
Using a role and exchange theory framework, John
M. Stevens et al (1978) examines the commitment to their
organization and to the federal service of 634 managers in
71 federal government organizations. Results indicate that
certain role factors such as tenure and work overload and
personal factors such as attitude toward change and job
involvement are strong influences on commitment [5].
Based on 285 questionnaires, Zhu ai-qin(2010)
conducted an empirical study on the relationship between
organizational commitment and job performance of middle
managers of listed companies in Xinjiang. The results
showed that the significant index between gender and
affective commitment was 0.080, slightly greater than 0.05,
although the males’ affective commitment is higher than
females’, but the difference was not significant; the
significant index between age and affective commitment is
0.007, less than 0.01, so there had a significant difference
between different age on affective commitment; with the
increase of work experience, affective commitment also
increased, but the Sig. only is 0.111, greater than 0.05, the
difference is not significant..
B. Job Factors
The job factors include work challenges, job
autonomy, job skills, and role ambiguity. Study found that
affective commitment is positively related to work
challenges and job autonomy, employees with low
affective commitment will have role ambiguity [12]. Allen
and Meyer (1991, 1997) found that job satisfaction and
work challenges will affect affective commitment.
Podsakoff et al (2000) verified job autonomy, distributive
justice, role ambiguity, role conflict, role load have strong
correlation with affective commitment by using empirical
methods. Hrebiniak and Alutto (1973) found that the role
tension is the best predictor variable of commitment. Lee
(1971) found that organizations identify partly determined
by the sense of achievement, relationship with superiors.
Job involvement, job satisfaction, the satisfaction to the
person in charge and colleagues, career commitment were
highly correlated to affective commitment [7]. Li jing and
Zhong xiao-jing’ (2009) empirical studies showed that job
burnout and organizational commitment was a significant
negative correlation, among them, deindividuation and
personal accomplishment reduce had significant negative
impact on affective commitment.
found that individuals tend to identify the organization in
three cases: when they think that organization will
provide opportunities for personal success; when they
have the power in the organization; when they haven’t
find a better organization. Sheldon (1971) found that
commitment is related to social participation with
colleagues.
The results of Bruce Buchanan II’ (1974) study are
generally consistent with the common themes found in the
review of similar research early. Collectively, these studies
identified years of organizational service, social interaction
with organizational peers and superiors, job achievement,
and hierarchical advancement as determinants of various
aspects of commitment. Bruce Buchanan II found measures
of similar experiences to be significantly related to
commitment. Bruce Buchanan II divided manager's career
into three stages. Table I summarizes the experience
predictions for each of the three stages.
C. Organizational Factors
Personal importance
First-year group attitudes toward organization
Organizational dependability
Organizational commitment norms
First-year job challenge
Current group attitudes toward organization
Peer group cohesion
N=279
TABLE I
Summary of Predictions
Experience
Stage 1
Role clarity
Peer group cohesion
Group attitudes toward organization
Expectations realization
Reality shock
First-year job challenge
Loyalty conflicts
Stage 2
Personal importance
Self-image reinforcement
Fear of failure
Organizational commitment norms
Work commitment norms
Stage 3
Organizational dependability
Organizational factors include organizational
support, sense of fairness of organizational policy,
organizational trust, organizational climate, management
practices, organizational culture and relationship with
colleagues and superiors. Study found that the more
support from the organization staff can percept the higher
affective commitment [14]. The fairness of organizational
policy that members perceived is positively related to
affective commitment [15]. Zhang mian et al (2002) proved
that distributive justice has a significant impact on
affective commitment. Geyskens et al (1995) believed
that in the distribution system, organizational trust is
positively related to affective commitment. Brown (1969)
TABLE II
Multiple Regression Depicting Impact of Experiences on
Organizational Commitment
Standardized coefficient
Organizational Experience
.21·
.12·
.15·
.12·
.19·
.23·
.08
F=85.42，ρ=.0001，R2=.68，df=269
·
ρ﹤.01
Table II presents the results of a multiple regression
in which the commitment scale was designated as the
dependent variable and the 13 experience scales the
independent variables. Only those experience scales
contributing at least 0.01 to explain commitment variance
(R2) entered the equation. As shown. 7 experiences
entered the equation and collectively explained 68 percent
of the commitment variance.
John A. Parnell(2003) summarized job satisfaction,
perceived promotional opportunities, and seniority, have
been found to positively correlate with organizational
commitment [17] [18], and he verified that propensity for
participative decision-making (PPDM) was significantly
related to organizational commitment, and growth factors
and challenging factors in job satisfaction positively while
social factors in job satisfaction negatively related to
organizational commitment [16].
Li hu et al. (2008) believed that when managers feel
the direct impact on their decisions making process is fair,
they are more likely to accept the results of these decisions.
Studies have found that a fair decision-making process can
enhance the level of commitment, and increase the sense of
trust and belonging in the senior management team [19]. Hu
Bao-ling and Wang Xiao-fei’(2010) empirical results found
that organizational support as well as continuous
commitment have a significant positive impact on affective
commitment.
IV. RESEARCH ON THE WAY TO IMPROVE
AFFECTIVE COMMITMENT OF MANAGERS
A. Managers Personal Significance Reinforcement
Managers who feel that the work they do makes real
contributions to organizational success are more likely to
develop commitment than those who lack this feeling [20] [21]
[22]
. First, a manager can directly verify his significance if
there is an observable link between what he does and the
success of his organization. Second, a person can sense how
his colleagues rate him, whether they see him as a
competent and valued associate.
In addition, another experience concerns the extent to
which managers senses that the organization expects them
to be committed [23]. Therefore, the high level of
organization should enhance communication with managers,
so managers can clearly perceive the high expectations and
trust.
B. Stability of Expectations of Managers
This experience concerns the consistency with which
the organization meets the expectations of its managers in
areas of importance to them. Such expectations include
those for salary increases and promotion. But more
important for managerial commitment may be the extent to
which managers perceive stable commitment on the part of
the organization to its own goals [1]. Wanous found that
correlation coefficient between expectation satisfaction and
organizational commitment is 0.39. Major and Kozlowsk
found that unsatisfied expectation has a negative impact on
organizational commitment. Therefore, to improve
managers' organizational commitment, it is important to
establish appropriate incentive pay system for managers.
C. Positive Work Experience of the Initial Stage
Irving and Meyer found in the initial several months of
work, positive work experience will lead to higher
organizational commitment. The importance of the initial
work assignment for the eventual development of
commitment is great [1]. This early experience can
profoundly influence an individual's attitude toward his
organization throughout his career [13]. Therefore, in the
early stages of the managers’ career, the organization should
try its best to create a good working environment to make
employees achieve fun and success of the work, which
contribute to the development of affective commitment to
the organization.
D. Socialization of managers
Bruce Buchanan II (1974) believed reference group
experiences concerns the nature and intensity of a person's
association with his organizational peers. Three such
experiences were found to influence commitment: first-year
group organizational affect, current group organizational
affect, and current group cohesion. Therefore, the
socialization of managers is an important way to create
organizational commitment. The more characteristics held
in common, the greater is the ease with which a group
becomes an effective team. The factor most important for a
positive organizational view among members of a group is a
collective respect for and identification with its mission. For
individuals, strengthen the interaction and communication
with peers and superiors who hold a positive attitude
towards the organization can enhance the identity to
organizational goals and values, which is the most important
prerequisite to acquire managers’ stable commitment.
Whether policies and mission of organization can be
identified by managers has a great influence on the
establishment of management commitment.
E. Justice and support of organization
It is generally considered that the employees will
evaluate their work experience according to whether they be
treated fairly or whether their interests be concerned by
organization. If so, the perception of fairness and support
will be the more direct reasons for development of
organizational commitment. Several studies have
investigated the influence of fairness of consequence and
procedure on organizational commitment. Folger and
Konovsky, for example, found that the fairness of
consequence explained more variance in the wage
satisfaction than procedural fairness, while procedural
fairness explained more variance in organizational
commitment. Sweeney and Konovsky also come to similar
conclusions. Empirical studies by Fu Wen-feng et al (2010)
showed that organizational justice and affective
commitment were positively correlated, procedural justice
and affective commitment is a clear causal relationship, but
the causal relationship between distributive justice,
interactional justice and affective commitment is not
obvious. Therefore, the reasonable, open and fair procedure
can make managers produce a sense of trust and higher
affective commitment, and they will do their best to service
the organization and will not easily leave the organization.
Eisenberger (2002) put forward norms of reciprocity
and exchange theory, he believed when employees feel the
organization’s concern, support and recognition, and they
will have a good performance. The positive correlation of
organizational support and affective commitment has been
proved. So, to cultivate the affective commitment of
employees, the organization must first prove their
commitment to employees. Empirical studies by Lynn and
Sand (1989) have shown that the greater support from the
organization that employees perceived, the higher the
affective commitment. As an important part of the
organization, managers will be more so. Therefore, if the
organization can provide appropriate support and trust,
managers will always loyal to the organization.
REFERENCES
[1] Buchanan Bruce II.Building Organizational Commitment:
The Socialization of Managers in Work Organizations[J].
Administrative Science Quarterly. 1974,19(4): 533-546
[2] Selznick Phillip. Leadership in Administration. Berkeley:
University of California Press 1957
[3] Perrow Charles. Complex Organizations: A Critical Essay.
Chicago: Rand McNally. 1972
[4] Mowday R T, Porter L W, Steers R M. Employee
Organization Linkages: The Psychology of Commitment,
Absenteeism, and Turnover [M]. Academic Press, 1982
[5] John M. Stevens, Janice M. Beyer, Harrison M. Trice.
Assessing Personal, Role, and Organizational Predictors of
Managerial Commitment[J]. Academy of Management
Journal 1978, 21, (3):380-396
[6] Meyer J P , Allen N J . A three component
conceptualization of organizational commitment [J] .
Human Resource Management Review , 1997 , 1 (1) : 61
89
[7] Liu xiao-ping. Review on Organizational Commitment [J].
Psychology dynamic,1999,7(4):31-37
[8] Ling wen-quan ,Zhang zhi-can,Fang li-luo. The research on
the structure model of Chinese employee's organizational
commitment
[J].
Management
science
journal,2000,3(2):76-80
[9] Sheldon Mary E. Investments and involvements as
mechanisms producing commitment to the organization.
Administrative Science Quarterly, 1971, 16: 143-150
[10] Lee Sang M. An empirical analysis of organizational
identification. Academy of Management Journal, 1971,14:
213-226
[11] Hrebiniak Lawrence C, and Joseph A. Alutto. Personal and
role-related factors in the development of organizational
commitment. Administrative Science Quarterly, 1973,18:
555-572
[12] Mathieu J E & Zajac D M. A review and meta-analysis of
the antecedents, correlates, and consequences of
organizational commitment. Psychological Bulletin,
1990,108, 171-194
[13] V. Vroom. Work and Motivation. New York: Wiley,
1964,186-200
[14] Liu xiao-ping, Wang chong-ming. Simulation study on
influence factors of organizational commitment [J]. China
management science,2002,10（6）: 97-100
[15] Konovsky M A & Pugh S D. Citizenship behavior and
social exchange. Academy of Management Journal.37:656669
[16] John A. Parnell, Crandall, William. Propensity for
Participative
Decision-Making,
Job
Satisfaction,
Organizational Commitment, Organizational Citizenship
Behavior, and Intentions to Leave Among Egyption
Managers.[J]. Multinational Business Review (St. Louis
University). 2003, 11 (1):45-65
[17] DeConinck J B & Bachmann D P. Organizational
commitment and turnover implications of marketing
managers. Journal of Applied Business Research. 1994,
10(3):87-95
[18] Bolino M C, Bloodgood J M, Jurnley W H. Organizational
citizenship behavior and the creation of social capital.
Academy of Management Proceedings. 2001,B1
[19] Kim W C, Mauborgne A. Procedural Justice, Attitudes, and
Subsidiary
top
Management
Compliance
with
Multinationals’ Corporate Strategic Decisions [J]. Academy
of Management Journal, 1993,(36):502-526
[20] C Argyris. Integrating the Individual and the Organization.
New York: Wiley, 1964, 26-34
[21] D McGregor. The Professional Manager. New York:
McGraw-Hill, 1967, 10-13
[22] J.P. Campbell, M.D. Dunnette, E.E. Lawier, and K. Weick.
Managerial Behavior, Performance, and Effectiveness. New
York: McGraw-Hill, 1970, 340-384
[23] D. Berlew and D.T. Hall. The Socialization of Managers:
Effects of Expectations on Performance. Administrative
Science Quarterly .1966