Relationships between Work Commitments and Experience of Personal Well-Being

It was hypothesized that work commitment is positively related to personal well-being along most of the commitment range. At the top end of the range, however, where “overcommitment” is indicated, a deterioration of well-being was expected. The sample consisted of 257 young, primarily men, retail managers. Analysis indicated a linear relationship between commitment and well-being across the whole range. The findings support the traditional position that personal commitment to central domains of life contributes to well-being. They do not support the hypothesis concerning detrimental effects of “overcommitment.”