Effects of Continuance, Affective, and Moral Commitment on the Withdrawal Process: an Evaluation of Eight Structural Equation Models

Abstract

Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the effects of three forms of attitudinal commitment on employee turnover. We used a traditional dichotomous measure of organizational departure but applied the PRELIS technique to resolve statistical problems. A test of eight competing versions of a turnover model using data collected from employees in an aerospace firm indicated that the forms of commitment affected turnover indirectly through a latent variable measuring withdrawal tendencies. The model including this variable resembles cognitive psychologists' descriptions of human mental processes that emphasize actors' general orientations and a lack of distinction making in everyday life.