Examining the Moderating Role of Organizational Commitment in the Relationship between Shocks and Workplace Outcomes

Little attention has been given to the role organizational commitment plays within broader models of turnover and withdrawal behavior. Understanding and integrating organizational commitment into such models is an important step to fully appreciating the role that commitment plays in the workplace. The purpose of the current study was twofold. First, this study aimed to examine the moderating role that organizational commitment plays in the unfolding model of voluntary turnover. Second, this study set out to examine the role that the various forms of commitment play in the relationship between shocks and withdrawal-related variables. By utilizing a multidimensional model of commitment, a longitudinal design, and an industry sample, the current study is able to offer empirical evidence to support the role of commitment as a moderator in the relationship between shocks and workplace outcomes. Unique effects that the various forms of commitment have on specific shock-outcome relationships were uncovered, providing at least partial support for the majority of hypotheses offered in the current study. Combined with a unique approach for documenting and measuring the various types of shocks, researchers and practitioners should find numerous applications of the current study. Overall, the results of this study are promising both for what they say about the importance of organizational commitment, as well as for their application in future studies