Organizational commitment recall in times of crisis

Abstract

After a crisis, employees' organizational commitment may be affected. This research examined the effect of a war crisis on the commitment of employees using Meyer and Allen (1997) three component model of commitment that is, affective, continuous and normative commitment. The study was carried out in a Middle Eastern country (Lebanon) that witnessed a 33 day war starting July 12, 2006 (now referred to as the "July War") that caught its citizens and businesses by surprise. Daily activities were disrupted and unforeseen financial loses were incurred. Participants were 244 professionals working in medium sized companies in the retail sector. The survey took place during the month of November, 2006, 4 months after the crisis. The results indicated that after a crisis, overall commitment did not change. However, affective and normative commitment increased while continuous commitment decreased. The three types of commitment were also affected by gender and status. Further studies should explore whether the same results apply to non-professional employees, to other sectors, returning troops, and after local upheavals