A Dual Process Model of Organizational Commitment

Abstract

The authors propose and test a new dual-process model of organizational commitment that connects organizational practices and specific job characteristics to the emotions and cognitions of employees. In turn, emotional reactions and cognitive processes are theorized to be the proximate cause of organizational commitment. Specifically, the model stipulates that overall job satisfaction and perceptions of organizational support are key emotional and cognitive processes that mobilize commitment in the workplace. The theoretical model was estimated with a sample of employees drawn from two large Korean organizations (N = 2,443). Overall, the results provide strong support for the model. The main findings are that feelings of job satisfaction and perceptions of organizational support operate through independent channels to mediate the impact of work experiences on organizational commitment. The authors discuss the implications of these findings in light of current theory and research on commitment.