The relationship between career management and organisational commitment : the moderating effect of openness to experience
Year: 2010
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Career management has received a significant amount of research attention because of its known effects on important work-related outcomes such as organisational commitment (De Vos, Dewettnick & Buyens, 2007). However, the modern world of work has brought fresh challenges for both individuals and organisations when it comes to the management of careers. Rapid economic, technological and societal change imply that, on the one hand, organisations face the challenge of retaining and motivating talented employees through the judicious use of career management systems. On the other hand, these influences indicate a growing awareness of the individual‟s responsibility for career development. However, the way in which individuals respond to organisational initiatives through their work-related attitudes is not well known. Despite previous research that has successfully investigated the relationship between career management and organisational commitment, the possible role that individual differences may play in this regard has received scant research attention. This research study firstly investigates the direct relationships between career management (i.e., both individually and organisationally driven activities) and affective organisational commitment, and secondly, it aims to explore the role of individual differences in this process by examining the moderating role of personality (in the form of openness to experience) in this relationship. For this purpose, quantitative data were collected by means of a survey questionnaire administered to a South African public sector organisation (N = 311) and analysed with correlation and moderated multiple regression analysis to test the hypothesised relationships. The results indicated that employees‟ perceptions regarding the organisation‟s career management activities influence whether individuals initiate internally or externally oriented career self management activities. Where respondents perceived receiving high levels of organisational career management, they also reported increased organisational commitment. More committed individuals, on their part, were found to be more likely to engage in internally oriented individual career management and less likely to practice career management activities aiming at leaving the organisation. Results showed that openness to experience did not moderate the relationship between organisational career management and commitment. However, openness to experience did moderate the effect of commitment on individuals‟ career self-management activities (both internally and externally oriented activities). The implications of these results are discussed and limitations of the present study, as well as recommendations for future studies, are presented.
Author: Maria Ronn
Language: English
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2154123478