Work status, gender, and organizational commitment among Korean workers: The mediating role of person-organization fit

Abstract

The aim of this article is to examine the role of person-organization (P-O) fit in the relationship between work status and organizational commitment. To this end, this article looks at whether women and workers on part-time or short-term contracts show a lower degree of commitment to the organization than their counterparts in Korea, before and after controlling for P-O fit. The results show that P-O fit mediates work status and organizational commitment. In addition, gender moderates the relationship between work status and organizational commitment. Among men, regular workers are more committed, while there is no difference detected among women so far as regular and non-regular workers are concerned. The authors also argue that since workers without secure employment do not constitute a homogenous group, a variety of methods should be employed to manage them. This article suggests that, given the lowering of organizational commitment after the economic crisis of the late 1990s in Korea, loyalty to one’s organization can be raised by enhancing the P-O fit.