Career commitment, proactive personality, and work outcomes: a cross-lagged study

Abstract

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to examine the relationships of career commitment to turnover intention, internal networking, job embeddedness, and turnover, and whether proactive personality moderates these relationships. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected at two points in time, spaced by a six-month interval, from a sample of employees working in diverse organizations (n=312 at Time 1 and n=186 at Time 2). Hypotheses were tested using moderated multiple (linear and logistic) regression analyses. Findings – Career commitment was positively related to Time 1 turnover intention, with this relationship being stronger at high levels of proactivity. Proactive personality also interacted with career commitment in predicting Time 2 internal networking and job embeddedness, such that these relationships were significantly positive only at low levels of proactivity. Finally, career commitment was positively related to Time 2 turnover, but this relationship was not moderated by proactive personality. Practical implications – Findings suggest organizations should enhance the within-organization opportunities of people with high career commitment and proactivity. In contrast, they should work at maintaining the employability of people with high career commitment and low proactivity, as these individuals may become stuck in their organization. Originality/value – This study contributes to the understanding of the relationships of career commitment and proactive personality to organization-relevant outcomes. It also breaks new ground by showing that career commitment may influence attitudes and behavior distinctively as a function of individuals' levels of dispositional proactivity.