An Assessment of organizational commitment on administrative staff turnover intention in Hawassa University – a Critical Analysis and Review (original) (raw)

2017, TIJ journal Singapore

The question of employee turnover has come to gain greater attention especially in this 21st century where organizations all over the world, in various industries, have faced this problem at some stages of their evolution (Zahra et al 2013). Hitherto, organizational studies suggest that intentions to leave are important for organizations and researchers because once people have actually implemented the behavior to quit; there is little likelihood of gaining access to them to understand their prior situation (Juhdi et al 2011). A turnover intention is a mental decision prevailing between an individual's approach with reference to a job whether to continue or leave the job (Jacobs and Roodt, 2007). In other words, it represents conscious and deliberate willingness to leave the organization (Tett and Meyer, 1993). Ongori (2007) contended that the meaning of turnover intention is the plan to leave an organization, and this appears to be the immediate antecedent to actually quitting. Turnover intention is a psychological variable of the tendency to leave that is closely related to turnover (Janseen, 1999). Mobley (1982) describes employee turnover as the cessation of membership in an organization by an individual who received monetary compensation from the organization. Several researchers have pointed out that turnover intention is commonly endorsed in the literature as a predictor of turnover The changes occurred in the theory of management has also significantly affected the attitude of organizations to their workers. The management paradigm, which until the mid of 20th century was under the influence of the " classical organization theory " , considered organizations as " closed-mechanical " systems and its workers as mere elements composing them. This approach tended to see them as parts of a machine rather than socio-psychological beings. Any lack of productivity or mistake of a worker was repaired by simply removing this worker and bringing a new one in his place. In this approach workers had no importance as " individuals " at all and their contribution to the organization was limited strictly to their job description. This attitude of the management reflected on the workers, causing that these were not trying to become more useful for the organization. When found a better job they used to quit their organizations to new one and to stay there until they find even better. INTRODUCTION: Organizational commitment has a long history, and has been the subject of a great deal of research and empirical attention both as a consequence and an antecedent of other work-related variables of interest. It has also an important place in the study of organizational behavior and evolved as a wide range of 'types' (e.g. engagement, attachment, commitment, involvement) within a wide spectrum of foci (e.g. work, job, career, profession/ occupation, organization, union), while studies on commitment varied between the categories of behavioral, attitudinal and motivational within three broad research streams through sociological, industrial/organizational psychology and health psychology (Roodt, 2004a). It has been studied in the public, private, and non-profit sector, and more recently internationally. Organizations implement various policies to overcome the commitment problem. In essence of this effort, more duty-bound, more hardworking for the organizational goals and more consistent with the organization position of the individuals with higher organizational commitment. Organizational commitment goes beyond the classical concept of commitment. It implies a more active commitment. Employees are willing to give their personal contribution to the well-being of the organization. Therefore, the organizational commitment reflects not only on their expressions and statements but also appears in their acts and deeds (Mow day, Steers and Porter, 1979: 226).