Course Title: Dr of Philosophy in Management

Thesis Title: Organisational Commitment: Reflections of a Small Group of Australian Public Servants

Supervisors: Prof Deborah Blackman and Dr David Tait 

A great deal has been learnt about organizational commitment since research began over 50 years ago. In recent years the focus has been on the relationship between commitment and human resource management (HRM) practices (Kinnie, Hutchinson, Purcell, Rayton & Swart, 2005) commitment as an element of motivation (Meyer, Becker & Vandenberghe, 2004) and the ongoing paradoxical nature of commitment and its relationship to performance (Wright & Bonnett, 2002; Chen and Francesco, 2001; Siders, George & Dharwadkar, 2001; Kibeom, Carswell & Allen, 2000; Becker, Billings, Eveleth & Gilbert, 1996; Allen and Meyer, 1996; Meyer & Bobocel, 1991; Mathieu and Zajac, 1990; Meyer, Paunonen, Gellatly, Goffin and Jackson, 1989; Allen and Smith, 1987). It seems that the more researchers delve into this multidimensional construct, the more complex it becomes.

This study steps back from this level of complexity and revisits the construct of commitment as it is experienced by a small group of non-managerial, generalist public servants employed within the Australian Public Service (APS). Little is known about the form that commitment takes in the public sector in general and in this context in particular and consequently this study sought to gain some insight into commitment in an Australian public sector environment. 

Firstly, it was necessary to determine the existence of Allen and Meyer’s three component model of commitment in this context as this had not previously been established. Secondly, the study sought to determine whether continuance commitment is the dominant form of commitment experienced by this group of public servants, as the literature suggests a tendency for this to be the case in public sector environments (Goulet & Frank, 2002; Abbott, White and Charles, 2005; Lyons, Duxbury and Higgins, 2006). This issue is important as high levels of continuance commitment are deemed the least conducive to high performance (Wright & Bonnett, 2002; Chen and Francesco, 2001; Siders et al., 2001; Kibeom et al., 2000; Becker et al., 1996; Allen and Meyer, 1996; Meyer & Bobocel, 1991; Mathieu and Zajac, 1990; Meyer et al., 1989; Allen and Smith, 1987). Thirdly, having identified this, the study considered some theoretical implications drawn from the findings. To achieve these goals it was decided that both quantitative and qualitative research methods were required. Therefore, using a mixed methods approach, three research questions were addressed:

1) Are high levels of continuance commitment experienced by a small group of Australian public servants?

2) If there are high levels of continuance commitment experienced by this group of public servants, what form does it take?

3) Considering the commitment states or profiles identified within this group of public servants, what theoretical implications may there be for HRM practices in the Australian public service context?

The quantitative study identified the existence of Allen and Meyer’s three component model of commitment in this context. Following this a qualitative approach explored commitment from the perspective of the workers themselves. The quantitative and qualitative data offered different interpretations of what commitment looks like in this context. The quantitative data confirmed the existence of affective, normative and continuance commitment, however it was somewhat weak and suggested that affective commitment was low, continuance commitment was strong and normative commitment was dominant. The weak quantitative data resulted in the question of dominance being reconsidered in the qualitative stage of were deemed more likely to reflect the dominant form of commitment experienced by this particular group of public servants. The qualitative data showed variances in all three elements of commitment including their commitment foci, identifying a dominance of continuance commitment. The strong variances in commitment came together to form a unique commitment profile that seemed conducive to the culture and context. As such, this profile was less problematic than might first be thought, despite the dominance of continuance commitment. Stepping back to revisit what commitment looks like in this context; it appeared it was not what was expected or what had previously been published in the literature.

This study then considered the effect of this profile on individual and organizational performance. This was particularly well timed as the APS is currently undertaking a significant performance reform process, on the back of internal government data that identified very high levels of employee commitment (APSC, 2010; Commonwealth of Australia, 2010). The impact of this profile on performance is discussed in this thesis and it is suggested that the performance culture and the commitment profile are entwined in a reciprocal relationship.

Several theoretical implications are considered. Firstly, the variance in the forms of commitment and the weak quantitative data suggest that there may be scope to reassess the applicability of Allen and Meyer’s three component model of commitment in all contexts, and that further qualitative research exploring commitment variances may be warranted. Secondly, this study identified a clear lack of understanding of the construct of commitment by APS HRM practitioners thus supporting the call for more work to be done to increase this knowledge by HRM practitioners. Thirdly, this study identified a theoretical link between the development of this commitment profile and the use of a particular bulk recruitment practice. This also supports the literature that suggests it is worth considering if commitment may lie within the ‘black box’ of HRM (Edwards and Wright, 2001; Conway and Monks, 2009) and supports the premise that continuance commitment can be developed through actual HRM practices (Gong, Law, Chang and Xin, 2009).

This study contributes to the field of organizational commitment by exploring commitment in a context that until now has been largely neglected. It offers insight into how organizational commitment is experienced by a small group of public servants and its relationship to organizational culture and its link to HRM practice.

Samantha Johnson is a Senior Consultant with CPM with ten years experience in consulting to clients from across a broad range of government departments. She is an experienced and well regarded facilitator, trainer and coach and has worked with people at all levels to enhance work performance and management capabilities. As a management consultant with CPM she presents on several public leadership programs as well as on in house leadership programs for departments such as AusAID, Customs and Border Protection, the House of Representatives, the Department of Defence including Head Quarters Joint Operations Command (HQJOC).

Prior to joining CPM Samantha consulted with two other Canberra based consulting firms where she designed, developed and delivered programs that covered many aspects of individual and team performance. In one of these firms she was responsible for establishing the learning and development arm of the business, which continues to operate successfully in the Canberra market. Prior to this she was a public servant herself, working in the Australian Public Service Commission.

Sam has a particular passion for exploring performance from a behavioural perspective and as such she focuses much of her consulting work on the fields of emotional intelligence, social intelligence and practical intelligence. As a coach and trainer she strives to assist people to develop self awareness and a greater capacity to understand how and why they behave and operate as individuals, managers and team members and how to develop knowledge, skills and behaviours that enhance personal and professional performance.

Sam holds a BA degree from Monash University, a Grad Dip in HRM from the University of Canberra and a Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training and has completed a PhD in Management at the University of Canberra. She presents regularly at conferences and seminars for the Australian Institute of Management (AIM), Australian Human Resource Institute (AHRI) and the Australian Institute of Training and Development (AITD). In 2009 she presented at the Academy of Management (AOM) international management conference in Chicago, USA and has been invited to co-present at the same conference in Texas, USA, in 2011.

Other accreditations that Sam holds include the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), the Team Management Index (TMI), the Herrmann Brain Dominance Index (HBDI) and the DiSC Behavioural Profile. She is also accredited in the full suite of LPP360 feedback tools, viz ELP, TLP, SIP, ESIP and SIP. She is a Certified Professional with the Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI) and a member of the Australian Institute of Training and Development (AITD) and the Academy of Management (AOM). She is also an accredited Executive Coach with the Australian Institute of Executive Coaching.