Testing the effects of job satisfaction on organizational commitment

Abstract

PurposeAs universities are human capital intensive organizations, practices followed by a university for enhancing the satisfaction of its teachers can be of great help in attracting, retaining and managing highly qualified and competent teachers. The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the impact of job satisfaction (JS) on organizational commitment (OC) of university teachers in India.Design/methodology/approachA total of 396 academicians are surveyed to assess the subjects’ responses to JS and commitment questionnaire. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used in the process of statistical analysis.FindingsThe results confirmed a significant impact of JS on OC of university teachers in India. With 1 percent increase in estimates of pay and job security (PJS), organizational support (OS) and job challenge (JC), there would be 21, 36 and 49 percentage increase, respectively, in OC of university teachers. Of all the factors of JS, JC is the most significant contributing factor, followed by OC and PJS that help in motivating and retaining the teachers in higher education institutions in India.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample of the study has been chosen from the higher education sector in Northern India, and so it still needs to be explored whether the findings of this study can be replicated in different geographical areas and organizational settings for further verification and generalization.Practical implicationsEncouraging greater satisfaction among the faculty members may positively influence work-related behaviors, especially commitment among the teachers. The paper may benefit the decision makers in universities to follow the proactive practices to improve the satisfaction and commitment of teachers as educational performance is of priority on the national agenda.Originality/valueThe study provides useful insights about a JS-OC relationship model and informs the stakeholders on how to create an enabling environment at the policy and practice level that would help in attracting and retaining teachers in universities in India. It contributes to enriching the JS and OC literature in a sector and a country poorly addressed so far in research.