Dimensionality and Consequences of Employee Commitment to Supervisors: A Two-Study Examination

Research on the 3-component model of organizational commitment— affective, normative, and continuance—has suggested that continuance commitment comprises 2 subcomponents, perceived lack of alternatives and sacrifice (e.g., S. J. Jaros, 1997 Jaros, S. J. 1997. An assessment of Meyer and Allen's (1991) three-component model of organizational commitment and turnover intentions. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 51: 319–337. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; G. W. McGee & R. C. Ford, 1987 McGee, G. W. and Ford, R. C. 1987. Two (or more?) dimensions of organizational commitment: Reexamination of the affective and continuance commitment scales. Journal of Applied Psychology, 72: 638–642. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). The authors aimed to extend that research in the context of employees’ commitment to their immediate supervisors. Through two studies, they examined the validity and consequences of a 4-factor model of commitment to supervisors including affective, normative, continuance-alternatives, and continuance-sacrifice components. Study 1 (N = 317) revealed that the 4 components of commitment to supervisors were distinguishable from the corresponding components of organizational commitment. Study 2 (N = 240) further showed that the 4 components of commitment to supervisors differentially related to intention to leave the supervisor, supervisor-directed negative affect and emotional exhaustion. The authors discuss the implications of these findings for the management of employee commitment in organizations.