Exam 7: Work Attitudes and Values

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It is generally assumed that higher levels of organisational commitment have positive benefits for both the organisation and for individual workers. For the organisation, employing workers who are high in commitment levels can result in a more stable workforce and possibly higher job performance (although there are many other factors which influence performance, including skill and motivation). For the individual, displaying high commitment may provide a sense of both identity and belongingness, which according to Maslow (see Chapter 6) are important elements for growth and development, along with potentially greater satisfaction if their commitment is rewarded by the organisation. However, we must also consider the potential 'costs' of excessive levels of commitment. Workers who have very high continuance commitment and low affective commitment may not contribute significantly to organisational productivity. They may stay on simply because they cannot find another job, and hence have little motivation to do more than the bare minimum to retain their position. On the other side of the coin, excessive organisational attachment may also be disadvantageous to individual workers, as they may become locked into their current position and fail to contemplate alternatives, which may in fact be more beneficial for them. Similarly, layoffs and redundancy can impact more strongly upon a person who has committed himself or herself to a single organisation, and adjustment to a new job may be more difficult.

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Although, on the surface, engagement and involvement appear to be synonymous, engagement goes beyond involvement and implies a more active participation by the person in his or her work. It is defined as having three separate, albeit interrelated, elements (Bakker & Demerouti, 2008):
1. Vigour: characterised by high levels of energy and resilience.
2. Dedication: being highly involved in work and experiencing significance, enthusiasm and challenge at work.
3. Absorption: focusing in a concentrated manner on work tasks and being engrossed in these tasks.
Research has suggested that high levels of work engagement are associated with a range of positive outcomes, including improved job performance and more favourable work attitudes.