A Process Model of Organizational Commitment of Korean Government Employees: The Effects of Organizational Practices, Role Ambiguity, and Trust on Altruism

While a lot research has been devoted to the exploration of the antecedents of organizational commitment, less attention has been focused on the significant causal relationships among antecedents. Using data from 234 employees of two Korean central government agencies, this study examined the causal relationships of organizational practices with trust and role ambiguity in influencing organizational commitment composed of affective, continuance, and normative commitments. This study also examined the effect of organizational commitment on altruism. Results of Linear Structural Relations(LISREL) analyses showed that human resource-oriented practices, such as career development and training, are more directly related to affective and normative commitment, while organizational process-oriented practices, such as communication and participation in decision-making, are indirectly related to them through role ambiguity and trust. However, no hypothesized antecedent was found to affect significantly continuance commitment. As an outcome of organizational commitment, altruism was predicted by affective commitment and role ambiguity. These findings highlight the importance of understanding the nature of organizational commitment in the public sector and provide useful theoretical and practical implications for the elicitation of desirable attitudes and behaviors among government employees.