Organizational climate and its effects on the employees commitment

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of the seven dimensions of organizational climate (Structure, Responsibility, Risk, Reward, Warmth and Support, Conflict, and Expect Approval) on the three types of organizational commitment (Affective, Continuance and Normative). The purpose of this paper is to examine if a relationship exists between each aspect of organizational climate and each type of employee commitment. The research reports the results of 214 survey questionnaires. Participants were individuals working in medium and large sized organizations located in Lebanon. Results indicate that the affective commitment is highly correlated with five components of organizational climates: structure, responsibility, warmth and support, conflict and expect approval. Also, continuance commitment is impacted by three organizational climates: rewards, warmth and support, and structure. Moreover, normative commitment is significantly related with three organizational climates: rewards, warmth and support, and expect approval. To improve productivity and performance of an organization, managers should understand the human resources, attitude and behaviors of the workforce. Organizational commitment can be one of many aspects that can be studied in order to measure workforce attachment to an organization within a certain climate. Nowadays, firms tend to create comfortable atmosphere and suitable working environment to enhance performance, increase job satisfaction, decrease employees’ turnover and absenteeism and to improve workers’ involvement and attachment to the organization as a whole entity. By definition, organization is considered as a group of financial, capital, physical and human resources working together in order to achieve mutual goals and objectives. This set of resources works towards same mission and vision, shares common values and norms, and follows similar strategies, systems and procedures. Many factors within organization may have an important impact on employees and staff. These internal and external features determine the organizational climate which affects performance, operation, functioning and culture of the organization. In order to assure effective and efficient use of resources and specifically the human assets, management of any organization might provide an optimistic encouraging atmosphere that can enhance worker commitment level and attachment. Herscovitch and Meyer (2002) defined commitment as the extent to which workers recognize the goals and objectives of the organization and they are willing to make effort and to work harder to help it prosper. Similarly, Bateman and Strasser (1984) described commitment as a multidimensional aspect relating employees’ devotion and faithfulness to readiness to exert effort on behalf of the organization and the desire to maintain membership. Meyer and Allen (1997) distinguished three different forms of organizational commitment.