Ch.3: Organizational Commitment

Question 1

organizational commitment

Answer 1

an employee’s desire to remain a member of an organization. (what is organizational commitment?)

Question 2

withdrawal behaviour

Answer 2

employee actions that are intended to avoid work situations

Question 3

affective commitment

Answer 3

An employee’s desire to remain a member of an organization due to a feeling of emotional attachment. Staying because you WANT to. (forms of commitment)

Question 4

normative commitment

Answer 4

An employee’s desire to remain a member of an organization due to a feeling of obligation. Staying because you OUGHT to. (forms of commitment)

Question 5

continuace commitment

Answer 5

An employee’s desire to remain a member of an organization due to an awareness of the costs of leaving. Staying because you NEED to. (forms of commitment)

Question 6

focus of commitment

Answer 6

The people, places, and things that inspire a desire to remain a member of an organization. (forms of commitment)

Question 7

erosion model

Answer 7

A model that suggests that employees with fewer bonds with co-workers are more likely to quit the organization. (affective commitment)

Question 8

social influence model

Answer 8

A model that suggests that employees with direct linkages to co-workers who leave the organization will themselves be more likely to leave. (affective commitment)

Question 9

embeddedness

Answer 9

An employee’s connection to and sense of fit in the organization and community. (continuance commitment)

Question 10

exit

Answer 10

an active response to a negative work event in which one ends or restricts organizational membership. (responses to negative events at work)

Question 11

loyalty

Answer 11

a passive response to a negative work event in which one publicly supports the situation but privately hopes for improvement (responses to negative events at work)

Question 12

neglect

Answer 12

a passive, destructive response to a negative work event in which one’s interest and effort in the job decline. (responses to negative events at work)

Question 13

voice (reponses to negative events context)

Answer 13

active, constructive response in which individuals attempt to improve the situation.

Question 14

psychological withdrawal

Answer 14

actions that provide a mental escape from the work environment. (withdrawal behaviour)

Question 15

daydreaming

Answer 15

a form of psychological withdrawal in which one’s work is interrupted by random thoughts or concerns. (withdrawal behaviour)

Question 16

socializing

Answer 16

a form of psychological withdrawal in which one verbally chats with co-workers about non-work topics. (withdrawal behaviour)

Question 17

looking busy

Answer 17

a form of psychological withdrawal in which one attempts to appear consumed with work when not performing actual work tasks. (withdrawal behaviour)

Question 18

moonlighting

Answer 18

a form of psychological withdrawal in which employees use work time and resources to do non-work related activities. (withdrawal behaviour)

Question 19

cyberloafing

Answer 19

a form of psychological withdrawal in which employees use the Internet, email, and instant messaging access for their personal enjoyment rather than work duties. (withdrawal behaviour)

Question 20

physical withdrawal

Answer 20

a physical escape from the work environment

Question 21

tardiness

Answer 21

a form of physical withdrawal in which employees arrive late to work or leave work early.

Question 22

absenteeism

Answer 22

a form of physical withdrawal in which employees do not show up for an entire day of work.

Question 23

long breaks / missing meetings

Answer 23

forms of physical withdrawal (self explanatory)

Question 24

quitting

Answer 24

form of physical withdrawal in which employees voluntarily leave the organization

Question 25

independent forms model

Answer 25

a model that predicts that the various withdrawal behaviours are uncorrelated, so that engaging in one type of withdrawal has little bearing on engaging in other types

Question 26

compensatory forms model

Answer 26

a model indicating that the various withdrawal behaviours are negatively correlated, so that engaging in one type of withdrawal makes one less likely to engage in other types

Question 27

progression model

Answer 27

a model indicating that the various withdrawal behaviours are positively correlated, so that engaging in one type of withdrawal makes one more likely to engage in other types

Question 28

3.1 - what is organizational commitment? what is withdrawal behaviour? how are the two connected?

Answer 28

• organizational commitment is the desire on the part of an employee to remain a member of the organization.
• withdrawal behaviour is a set of actions that employees perform to avoid the work situation.
• commitment and withdrawal are negatively related to each other - the more committed employees are, the less likely they are to engage in withdrawal.

Question 29

3.2 - what are the three forms of organizational commitment, and how do they differ?

Answer 29

there are three forms of organizational commitment:
- affective commitment occurs when employees want to stay and is influenced by the emotional bonds between employees.
- continuance commitment occurs when employees need to stay and is influenced by salary and benefits and the degree to which they are embedded in the community.
- normative commitment occurs when employees feel that they ought to stay and is influenced by an organization investing in its employees or engaging in charitable efforts.
research is starting to show the importance of looking at these three forms in combination, and what these different profiles mean for individuals and the organization.

Question 30

3.3 - what are the four primary responses to negative events at work?

Answer 30

employees can respond to negative work events in four ways:
- exit: is a form of physical withdrawal in which the employee either ends or restricts organizational membership.
- voice: is an active and constructive response by which employees attempt to improve the situation.
- loyalty: is passive and constructive; employees remain supportive while hoping the situation improves on its own.
- neglect: is a form of psychological withdrawal in which interest and effort in the job decrease.

Question 31

3.4 - what are some examples of psychological withdrawal? of physical withdrawal? how do the different forms of withdrawal relate to each other?

Answer 31

examples of psychological withdrawal include:
- daydreaming, socializing, looking busy, moonlighting, and cyberloafing.
examples of physical withdrawal include:
- tardiness, long breaks, missing meetings, absenteeism, and quitting.
consistent with the progression model, withdrawal behaviours tend to start with minor psychological forms before escalating to more major physical varieties.

Question 32

3.5 - what workplace trends are affecting organizational commitment in today’s organizations?

Answer 32

the increased diversity of the workforce can reduce commitment if employees feel lower levels of affective commitment or become less embedded in their current jobs. the employee-employer relationship, which has changed due to decades of downsizing, can reduce affective and normative commitment, making it more of a challenge to retain talented employees.

Question 33

3.6 - how can organizations foster a sense of commitment among employees?

Answer 33

organizations can foster commitment among employees by fostering perceived organizational support, which reflects the degree to which the organization cares about employees’ well-being. commitment can also be fostered by specific initiatives directed at the three commitment types.