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"The Relationship Between Training Benefits And Organizational Commitment, With Conscientiousness As The Moderator"Muhammad Zia MBA research theses in University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaTRANSCRIPT
The Relationship Between Training Benefits And Organizational Commitment,
With Conscientiousness As The Moderator
Muhammad Zia Aslam
Submitted to the Graduate School of Business
Faculty of Business and Accountancy
University of Malaya, in partial fulfillment
Of the requirements for the Degree of
Master of Business Administration
July 2009
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- v
LIST OF FIGURES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ v
LIST OF APPENDICES ----------------------------------------------------------------------- vi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ------------------------------------------------------------------ vii
ABSTRACT ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------viii
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ---------------------------------------------------------- 1
1.1 Problem Statement--------------------------------------------------------------------- 1
1.2 Purpose of the Study ------------------------------------------------------------------ 2
1.3 Significance of the Study ------------------------------------------------------------- 3
1.4 Scope of the Study--------------------------------------------------------------------- 8
1.4.1 Understanding Training and Training Benefits ------------------------------ 8
1.4.2 Understanding Organizational Commitment --------------------------------10
1.4.3 Personality and Conscientiousness -------------------------------------------14
1.5 Research Questions-------------------------------------------------------------------15
1.6 Expected Contribution of the Study------------------------------------------------16
1.7 Limitations of the Study -------------------------------------------------------------17
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW -------------------------------------------------19
2.1 Introduction----------------------------------------------------------------------------19
2.2 Commitment---------------------------------------------------------------------------20
2.2.1 Organizational Commitment---------------------------------------------------21
2.2.2 Organizational Commitment Variables---------------------------------------23
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2.2.2.1 Affective Commitment-------------------------------------------------------24
2.2.2.2 Continuance Commitment---------------------------------------------------24
2.2.2.3 Normative Commitment -----------------------------------------------------25
2.2.3 Consequences of Organizational Commitment -----------------------------26
2.3 Employee Training -------------------------------------------------------------------27
2.3.1 Benefits of Employee Training ------------------------------------------------30
2.3.2 Types of Training Benefits -----------------------------------------------------31
2.3.3 Relationship between Employee Training and Organizational
Commitment --------------------------------------------------------------------------------32
2.4 Conscientiousness --------------------------------------------------------------------33
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY----------------------------------------35
3.1 Introduction----------------------------------------------------------------------------35
3.2 Development of Hypotheses and Research Design------------------------------36
3.2.1 Development of Hypothesis ---------------------------------------------------37
3.2.2 Research Design-----------------------------------------------------------------38
3.2.3 Research Variables --------------------------------------------------------------40
3.3 Research Site and Sampling Design -----------------------------------------------41
3.4 Selection of Measures (Survey Instrument) --------------------------------------42
3.5 Data collection procedure -----------------------------------------------------------44
3.6 Data Analysis Techniques -----------------------------------------------------------46
3.7 Statistical Analysis--------------------------------------------------------------------46
CHAPTER 4: RESEARCH RESULTS---------------------------------------------------48
4.1 Summary Statistics -------------------------------------------------------------------48
4.1.1 Descriptive Statistics------------------------------------------------------------48
4.1.2 Inferential Statistics -------------------------------------------------------------51
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4.2 Testing of Hypotheses----------------------------------------------------------------58
4.3 Summary of Research Results ------------------------------------------------------63
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ----------------------65
5.1 Summary and Conclusion -----------------------------------------------------------65
5.2 Suggestions for Future Research ---------------------------------------------------70
5.3 Implications ---------------------------------------------------------------------------71
REFERENCES ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------73
Appendix 1 – Survey Instrument--------------------------------------------------------------82
Appendix 2 – Regression Results-------------------------------------------------------------86
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LIST OF TABLES
Table - 1 Descriptive Statistics ----------------------------------------------------- 49
Table - 2 Correlation Matrix of the predicting variables -------------------------- 52
Table - 3 Multiple Regression results for Affective Commitment --------------- 53
Table - 4 Multiple Regression results for Continuance Commitment ------------ 54
Table - 5 Multiple Regression results for Normative Commitment -------------- 55
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure - 1 Research Model ------------------------------------------- 39
Figure - 2 Gender – Sample Percentages Pie chart --------------------------- 49
Figure - 3 Age – Sample Percentages Pie chart ------------------------ 50
Figure - 4 Level of Education – Sample Percentages Pie chart --------------- 50
Figure - 5 Length of Service – Sample Percentages Pie chart -- -------- 51
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LIST OF APPENDICES
Appendix 1: Survey Instrument:
Covering Letter --------------------------------------------------------- 80
Section One: Organizational Commitment scale --------------------- 81
Section Two: Training Benefits scale ---------------------------------- 82
Section Three: Conscientiousness and Demographics scale --------- 83
Appendix 2: Regression Analysis Results:
Affective Commitment (as independent)
Model Summary ------------------------------------------------------- 84
Annova Results Table ------------------------------------------------ 85
Coefficients Result Table ------------------------------------------- 86
Continuance Commitment (as independent)
Model Summary ----------------------------------------------------- 88
Annova Results Table ----------------------------------------------- 89
Coefficients Result Table ------------------------------------------- 90
Normative Commitment (as independent)
Model Summary ----------------------------------------------------- 92
Annova Results Table ---------------------------------------------- 93
Coefficients Result Table ------------------------------------------ 94
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First and foremost, I would like to acknowledge my research supervisor Dr. Sharan
Kaur, for her persistent encouragement, guidance and advice, without which it would
not be possible for me to complete this life changing experience of my research work.
I would also like to thank to all my respected respondents of the study survey, which
made it possible for me to find the relationship in the proposed variables in my
research work. Moreover, I am really thankful to my dear friends, especially shahid
and Hafeez, my fellow classmates and all my well wishers who helped me in any way
in the completion of my research theses.
Finally, my special thanks go to all my teachers, staff, and the Graduate School of
Business, University of Malaya, for facilitating and providing the environment of
leaning and personal development in the campus.
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ABSTRACT
The study examined the relationship between employees’ beliefs regarding training
benefits, measured as personal benefits, career benefits and job-related benefits, and
organizational behavior as a set of affective commitment, continuance commitment
and normative commitment, and the moderating effect of conscientiousness on the
relationship, in Malaysia. This relationship was assessed through a quantitative
research design using a total of 199 responses collected by convenient sampling in
Malaysia. Findings suggest that, first, only career benefits of training predict affective
commitment and continuance commitment positively and significantly. However,
career benefits of training do not have a significant relationship with normative
commitment. Second, personal benefits of training and job-related benefits of training
do not have a significant relationship with organizational commitment represented as
affective, continuance and normative. Third, demographic factors (gender, age,
education and length of service) do not show a significant relationship with
organizational commitment. Fourth, and final, conscientiousness does not moderate
the relationship between benefits of training and organizational commitment.
1
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
This study explores the relationship between Malaysian employees’ beliefs regarding
Training Benefits (Personal, Career and Job Related) and their Organizational
Commitment (Affective, Continuance and Normative Commitment), as well as the
moderating effect of Conscientiousness (a personality dimension of Big-Five model)
on this relationship. The study used the research model from the work of Muhammad,
A. S., & Michael, J. M., (2007).
1.1 Problem Statement
Employee training and development programs are becoming more critical in order to
accomplish organizational objectives and goals effectively and efficiently.
Organizations continue to struggle with the specific issues of employee retention and
manpower shortages. Accordingly, there has been an increased interest in
organizational commitment. The exploration of the relationship between training
benefits and organizational commitment is still in its early stages and need to be
explored. Furthermore, the moderation effect of conscientiousness as a Big-Five
personality trait has never been examined to better understand this relationship.
Although, there have been several studies reported on training and organizational
commitment in western countries, very little has been done in Malaysia. Therefore,
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the relationship between organizational commitment and training benefits, as well as
the moderation effect of conscientiousness on the relationship, is as yet unclear
especially in Malaysia.
1.2 Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between Malaysian
employees’ beliefs regarding Training Benefits (Personal, Career and Job Related)
and their Organizational Commitment (Affective, Continuance and Normative
Commitment), as well as the moderating effect of Conscientiousness (a personality
dimension of Big-Five model) on this relationship.
This study examines the relationship between employee attitudes towards training and
organizational commitment, as well as the moderating effect of conscientiousness on
the relationship, among Malaysian employees. The basic inspiration for this research
work has been adopted from literature (Muhammad, A. S., & Michael, J. M., 2007).
In their quantitative study in a petroleum company in the sate of Qatar, Muhammad A.
S., and Michael J. M. (2007) examined the relationship between training benefits and
organizational commitment with a different approach than before i.e. using the three
component model of training benefits (personal, career and job-related) from the work
of Noe and Wilk (1993) and the three component model of organizational
3
commitment (affective, continuance and normative) proposed by Allen and Myer
(1997). They found a positive relationship between employees’ beliefs regarding
training benefits and their organizational commitment.
1.3 Significance of the Study
Although this study uses the same major constructs of training benefits and
organizational commitment, as examined in Muhammad A. S., and Michael J. M.
(2007), it also investigates the moderation effect of conscientiousness of Big-Five
model on the relationship, in the Malaysian scenario. Thus, the findings of this study
may contribute to the theory and practice of relevant fields differently, especially in
the Malaysian context.
Human Resource Development has been a key focus area for Malaysian government
as well as corporate organizations for the last three decades. Since Malaysian
government started efforts to change Malaysia’s agriculture-based economy in 1970s
to industrial-based economy (vision 2020), the government realized that human
resources are the major driving factor for the country’s social and economic growth
(Haslinda A., Rose, & Kumar, 2007). As a result, the government continuously has
been focusing on the country’s human resources development (HRD) through HRD
plans, policies and strategies, starting from way back in 1960s (First Malaysia Plan,
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1966 - 1970), to Ninth Malaysia Plan (2006 - 2010). Malaysia’s vision 2020, Malaysia
Eight Plan, and Malaysia Ninth Plan place special attention on shifting its economy
from input-driven to knowledge-driven through human resource development.
HRD is recognized as being able to foster and contribute to desired work-place
attitudes and behaviors of employees. This is the reason that organizations spend lot
of money on training and development programs to keep competitive advantage of
highly skilled workforce in the competitive world of business. Although, literature
gives importance to organizational commitment and training, the nature of
relationship between the two is still unclear. For example, as Muhammad, A. S., &
Michael, J. M., 2007 found, there continues to be lack of empirical studies that
identify which benefits of employee training (Personal, Career and Job-related) is the
best predictor of which component of organizational commitment (affective,
normative and continuance). As training is a vast and costly activity, employee
training and development should be designed to achieve increased organizational
commitment. Irrelevant training programs may negatively affect organizational
commitment (Pinks, 1992). However, training research also emphasize that because
training is an individual’s behavior change activity, the effect of personal
characteristics on training effectiveness must also be examined (Campbell 1988;
Tannenbaum & Yukl, 1992). While personality traits have been studied frequently to
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find their effect on employee performance, training motivation and other dimensions
of work life, no research, at-least in Malaysia, examined the moderation effect of
personality traits (conscientiousness in this case) on the relationship of organizational
commitment and training benefits as intended in this research work.
Dr. Kamarul Z. A. & Raida A. B. (2003) conducted a study to find the relationship
among organizational commitment and training in Malaysian context, however, the
training construct was not investigated as is intended in this research work. They
investigated the association between five training variables (availability of training,
support for training, motivation to learn, training environment and perceived benefits
of training), and various aspects of organizational commitment (affective commitment,
normative commitment, continuance commitment and overall organizational
commitment). They found that availability of training, support for training, motivation
to learn, training environment, perceived benefits of training were all significantly
correlated with affective commitment, normative commitment and overall
organizational commitment. The training environment and perceived benefits were
also significantly correlated with continuance commitment. However the availability
of training, support for training and motivation to learn were not significantly
correlated with continuance commitment.
It is widely acknowledged that personnel’s training is the cornerstone in most
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organizations’ HRD systems (Nordhaug, 1989). Training contributes to gains in
competitive advantage (Schuler & MacMillan, 1984) with some suggesting that
improvements in productivity and organizational performance have become the most
dominant argument for justifying training (Scott & Meyer, 1991). On the other hand,
organizational commitment is an increasingly valued work-related attitude, especially
in the context of employee training and development. Of the many work-related
attitudes frequently examined for their relationship to the management of employee
behavior, organizational commitment is increasingly valued as a predictor of work
behaviors and behavioral intentions (Jaros, Jermier, Koehler, & Sincich, 1993). Early
research considered organizational commitment to be a construct with a single
dimension; however, it is now widely accepted as being multi-dimensional (Meyer &
Allen, 1997). In other words, more than one forms of employee attachment exist to
describe the nature of this psychological tie or mind-set.
Personality refers to the relatively stable characteristics of individuals that influence
their overall behavior. It is an important variable in most of the motivation theories as
Digman (1990) states, “research linking personality to training motivation has
examined narrow traits as well as wider traits included in the Big-Five model.” In fact
research has linked the conscientiousness factor of the Big-Five model to training.
Conscientiousness individuals have more confidence in their ability to learn the
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training materials (Martocchio & Judge, 1997). Similarly, Colquitt and Simmering
(1998) showed that conscientious learners had higher self-efficacy and a stronger
desire to learn the training content. Hence, it is worth looking the moderation effect of
conscientiousness on the relationship of employees’ organizational commitment and
their perceived benefits of training.
Hence, it is a widely accepted argument that successful organizations recognize their
employees as their most valuable resources and consider retention of human capital as
their primary concern. Becker’s (1975) human capital theory explains that
organizations can achieve greater productivity through employee training. Therefore,
organizational investment in human capital has resulted in management being
required to pay ever closer attention to employee training. However, despite the
availability of training programs, there is still a concern over the contribution of
training to the desired organizational outcomes such as commitment. The effect of
training on commitment has received less attention than it deserves. There has only
been some studies conducted that provide some evidence to suggest that organizations
can influence employees’ commitment through their training practices. Gaertner and
Nollen (1989) found that employees’ commitment was related to the actual and
perceived human resource management practices such as training. Lang (1992) also
suggested that training should be designed to achieve increased organizational
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commitment.
1.4 Scope of the Study
The scope of this study is to understand what component of benefits of training is the
best predictor of the which component of organizational commitment, and does
conscientiousness moderates the relationships between different combinations of
training benefits and organizational commitment, as defined in the research questions
of this study. It is important to have a close look on the related concepts to better
understand the variables chosen for the study.
Therefore, we try to comprehend below the concepts of training, organizational
commitment and conscientiousness as an important dimension of Big-Five model.
1.4.1 Understanding Training and Training Benefits
Buckley and Caple (1995) defined training as ‘a planned and systematic effort to
modify or develop knowledge, skill, and attitude through learning experience, to
achieve effective performance in an activity or range of activities’. Training can be
viewed as a management practice that can be controlled or managed to elicit a desired
set of unwritten, shared attitudes and behaviors, including job involvement,
motivation, and organizational commitment (Sparrow, 1998). Moreover, there is
sound reasoning behind training expenditures and investments, as research has already
9
shown that learning in school and on the job is by far the most important factor
accounting for economic growth and productivity in this century. Organizational
investment in human capital resulted in management paying closer attention to
employee training. Yet such widely supported generalizations miss a critical aspect of
the corporate training i.e. immediate relevance. As Burrow and Berardinelli (2003)
suggest, “in the past decade, training has seen an increasing criticism in terms of
relevance to key business processes and outcomes. It has been suggested that unless
training is targeted at results that make a difference in measures that are significant to
the organization, it will not be valued and valuable. Furthermore, several factors are
known to affect the effectiveness of training such as the behavior of individual
learner, the training program, the environment in which the trainee works, and the
support from the trainee’s immediate supervisor (Montesino, 2002). Noe and Wilk
(1993), based on the work of Nordhaug (1989), developed a three component model of
employees’ training benefits. They suggested that employees’ participation in training
activities result in three types of benefits: personal benefits, career benefits and
job-related benefits. Personal benefits refers to the employees’ believe that
participation in training activities can help them network, improve their job
performance and make progress towards their personal development. Identifying career
objectives, reaching career objectives and creating opportunity to pursue new career
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paths through training leads employees towards their perception of career benefits.
Whereas, job-related benefits represent employees’ perceptions towards better
relationship between peers and managers, and a necessary break from the job. They
argued also that the more personal, career-related, and job-related benefits that
employees feel they can obtain from participating in development activities, the greater
will be their degree of participation in such activities.
1.4.2 Understanding Organizational Commitment
In the fields of Organizational Behavior and Industrial/Organizational Psychology,
organizational commitment is, in a general sense, the employee's psychological
attachment to the organization. It can be contrasted with other work-related attitudes,
such as Training Benefits, Job Satisfaction, and Organizational Performance etc.
Beyond this general sense, Organizational scientists have developed many definitions
of organizational commitment, and numerous scales to measure them. Exemplary of
this work is Meyer & Allen's model of commitment, which was developed to integrate
numerous definitions of commitment that had proliferated in the literature. According
to Meyer and Allen's (1991) three-component model of commitment, prior research
indicated that there are three "mind sets" which can characterize an employee's
commitment to the organization:
Affective Commitment: AC is defined as the employee's positive emotional attachment
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to the organization. An employee who is affectively committed strongly identifies
with the goals of the organization and desires to remain a part of the organization.
This employee commits to the organization because he/she "wants to".
Continuance Commitment: The individual commits to the organization because he/she
perceives high costs of losing organizational membership, including economic costs
(such as pension accruals) and social costs (friendship ties with co-workers) that
would be incurred. The employee remains a member of the organization because
he/she "has to".
Normative Commitment: The individual commits to and remains with an organization
because of feelings of obligation. These feelings may derive from many sources. For
example, the organization may have invested resources in training an employee who
then feels a 'moral' obligation to put forth effort on the job and stay with the
organization to 'repay the debt.' It may also reflect an internalized norm, developed
before the person joins the organization through family or other socialization
processes, that one should be loyal to one's organization. The employee stays with the
organization because he/she "ought to".
According to Meyer and Allen, these components of commitment are not mutually
exclusive: an employee can simultaneously be committed to the organization in an
affective, normative, and continuance sense, at varying levels of intensity. This idea
12
led Meyer and Herscovitch (2001) to argue that at any point in time, an employee has
a "commitment profile" that reflects high or low levels of all three of these mind-sets,
and that different profiles have different effects on workplace behavior such as job
performance, absenteeism, and the chance that the organization member will quit.
As for the process of developing commitment, the first era is based on Howard
Becker’s (1960) conceptualization that defined commitment by using what is known
as the side-bet theory (Cohen & Lowenberg, 1990). According to this theory,
committed employees are committed because they have hidden or less hidden
investments, “side-bets,” they have made by remaining in a given organization. The
term “side-bets” was used by Becker (1960) to refer to the accumulation of
investments valued by the individual that would be lost if he or she was to leave the
organization. Becker (1960) argued that over a period of time certain costs accrue that
make it more difficult for the person to disengage from a consistent pattern of activity,
namely maintaining membership in the organization. The threat of losing these
investments, along with a perceived lack of alternatives to replace or make up for the
loss of them, commits the person to the organization. Becker himself phrased his
argument as follows:
...The man who hesitates to take a new job may be deterred by a complex
of side-bets: the financial costs connected with a pension fund he would
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lose if he moved; the loss of seniority and ‘connections’ in his present
firm, which promise quick advance if he stays; the loss of ease in doing
his work because of his success in adjusting to the particular conditions of
his present job; the loss of ease in domestic living consequent on having
to move his household, and so on...
However, the findings based on the side-bet approach were disappointing in terms of
the relationship between commitment and behavioral outcomes in the workplace, and
in terms of their relationship to determinants (Cohen & Lowenberg, 1990). Therefore,
researchers suggested other theories for commitment that were based on the idea of
psychological attachment, like a psychological contract between the individual and
the organization. The psychological approach began with a scale, the Organizational
Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ), advanced by Porter and Smith (1970) and Porter
and his colleagues (1974), and was later summarized in a book by Mowday et al.
(1982). The psychological approach has an entirely different perspective on
commitment. Instead of focusing on measuring the perceived costs of leaving the
organization from the individual’s point of view, it focuses on the psychological
attachment that employees develop to the organization based on an exchange process
with the relevant object of commitment. However, the current favorite approach is
known as the three-component approach of commitment advanced by Meyer and
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Allen (1984, 1991). Using the argument that organizational commitment can be better
understood as a multidimensional concept, Allen and Meyer (1990) proposed a
three-dimensional measure of organizational commitment.
1.4.3 Personality and Conscientiousness
Personality is the set of unseen characteristics and processes that underlie a relatively
stable pattern of behavior in response to ideas, objects, or people in the environment
(Richard L. Daft, 2008). Further he suggests that organizations can use this
understanding to improve the effectiveness of their employees. The debate about
using personality tests to predict success in the workplace changed with the
development of the Big Five model (Goldberg, 1993; Landy, Shankster, & Kohler,
1994). The findings from Big Five research model provided mush stronger evidence
for the relationship between personality and job performance (Tett, Jackson, &
Rothstein, 1991). A great deal of research indicates that, of the Big Five factors,
Conscientiousness may be the best predictor of job performance (Barrick and Mount,
1991; Barrick, Mount, & Judge, 2001; Hurtz & Denovan, 2000; Salgado, 1997). To
understand why, we need look at some of the characteristics that make up this
personality dimension. People who score high in Conscientiousness are said to be
careful, thorough, and dependable. That is, they don’t rush through a job but take time
to do the job correctly and completely. These individuals are also hardworking,
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persistent, and achievement oriented. Although most of the research studies done on
Big-Five personality traits model focus on its relationship with employee job
performance, we assume that because of its widely accepted importance in workplace
settings it is important to find the moderation effect of conscientiousness on the
relationship of training and organizational commitment.
1.5 Research Questions
The major research questions that guide this study are “what is the relationship
between Malaysian employees’ beliefs regarding training benefits and the
commitment of those employees to the organization, and does conscientiousness has a
moderating effect on this relationship?” However, given below are the five
sub-questions derived from the components of two main variables in question i.e.
organizational commitment and beliefs regarding training benefits, and the
moderating variable, conscientiousness.
1. What is the relationship between Affective Commitment and personal
benefits, career benefits, and job-related benefits of employee training
respectively?
2. What is the relationship between Continuance Commitment and personal
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benefits, career benefits, and job-related benefits of employee training
respectively?
3. What is the relationship between Normative Commitment and personal
benefits, career benefits, and job-related benefits of employee training
respectively?
4. How conscientiousness moderates the relationship between training benefits
(personal, career and job-related) and organizational commitment (affective,
continuance and normative)?
5. How demographic factors represented by age, gender, education and length
of service make a difference in the employees’ Organizational Commitment
represented by affective, continuance and normative commitment?
1.6 Expected Contribution of the Study
This study will be significant for the following reasons:
1. Contribution to theory: As only little is known about the relationship between
employees’ training benefit beliefs and organizational commitment, use of
three component model of organizational commitment (as dependent
variables) and beliefs regarding training benefits (as independent variables)
will add to what is known about this relationship. Particularly, this empirical
17
study will be the first to examine the relationship between employees’ beliefs
regarding training benefits (personal, career and job-related) and
organizational commitment (affective, continuance and normative), and the
moderating effect of conscientiousness on the relationship, in Malaysia.
2. Contribution to practice: The relationships, identified in this study, between
organizational commitment and benefits of employee training might enable
Malaysian organizations, to understand the importance of the linkages of
training benefit beliefs of the employees and their organization commitment,
keeping in mind the effect of personality as well. Hence, resulting in reduced
costs associated with recruiting, hiring, and training and development.
3. Recommendations for future research: As little research work has been done
in this particular domain of relationship between organizational commitment
and training benefits, this study may provide new directions for future
research work in Malaysian context.
1.7 Limitations of the Study
Results of this study will be limited only to Malaysian context as the study uses
Malaysian employees as the subjects for data collection. Therefore, the findings of
this study should be interpreted with recognition of the study’s limitations. This study
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id limited by the following constraints:
1. This study uses convenient data sampling technique by targeting all
Malaysian employees to collect data; the results may not be applied in
specific industry types or organizations.
2. The results of this study do not segregate findings on the bases of public and
private sector employees, so the findings should be taken as the general
behavior of Malaysian employees towards training benefits and
organizational commitment.
3. The survey nature of this study has some limitations such as possible
ambiguity of individual questions, answers that can not be clarified, and
variations in respondents’ motivation to response and their knowledge.
4. The complex nature of organizational commitment and employee training
constructs may reduce the reliability of the measures.
5. The stability of the findings should be taken keeping in mind that it is not a
longitudinal study.
6. The survey instrument has been used in English and could affect
respondents’ understanding, as English is not the first language in Malaysia.
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CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction
The objective of this section is to provide a review of the literature that guided various
aspects of this research study on the relationship between employees’ beliefs
regarding training benefits and employees’ organizational commitment in Malaysia. It
provides an analysis of the literature regarding previous and current research findings,
including theoretical / conceptual framework relevant to the study. The literature
review for this study was conducted using a computerized search using
“organizational commitment”, “training” and “personality” as keywords. More
specifically, employee training and development, retention, turnover, organizational
commitment, Big-Five model, conscientiousness and other related keywords were
subsequently searched.
The study is built around three constructs: employee training, organizational
commitment, and conscientiousness of Big-Five personality traits model. The variables
are divided into three categories: organizational commitment as dependent variables,
employee training benefits as independent variables, and conscientiousness of Big-Five
model as moderating variable. Organizational commitment variables include affective
commitment, continuance commitment and normative commitment (Meyer & Allen
20
1997). Employee training variables include personal, career and job-related benefits of
employee training (Noe & Wilk, 1993).
The literature review information is presented in three sections. First, the commitment
section includes the following sub-sections: organizational commitment,
organizational commitment variables, and consequences of organizational
commitment. The second section of the literature review explores employee training
literature with the focus on the following sub-sections: benefits of employee training
and relationship between employee training and organizational commitment. Third and
final section on conscientiousness brings together the possible literature support for the
importance of personality and Big-Five model in organizational settings, especially
concentrating on conscientiousness of Big-Five personality traits model.
2.2 Commitment
According to Mowday, Porter, and Steers (1982), commitment can be defined as “the
relative strength of an individual’s identification with and involvement in a particular
organization”. They identify three characteristics of commitment: a belief in and
acceptance of the values of the organization, a strong willingness to put in effort for the
organization and the desire to remain with the organization. These three characteristics
show that commitment is not only an attitude, but also a behavior. Schappe and Doran
(1997) added that “commitment is a global attitude that results from the sense of
21
support and a feeling that one’s efforts are acknowledged and shared by the
organization”. Commitment literature identifies four major commitments: Protestant
work ethic, career commitment, job commitment and organizational commitment
(Morrow, 1983).
Commitment can be viewed from two perspectives: the employee perspective and the
employer perspective. From the employer perspective, committed employees benefit
the organization by improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization in
terms of increased performance and reduced employee turnover and absenteeism
(Mowday, Porter, & Steers, 1982). From the employee perspective, committed
employees gain financial and non-financial benefits such as monetary gains and job
satisfaction (Meyer & Allen, 1997).
2.2.1 Organizational Commitment
Organizational commitment has been defined as both an attitudinal and a behavioral
construct. The attitudinal approach to organizational commitment is based on the
employee development of emotional or psychological attachment to the organization
(Meyer & Allen, 1997). In contrast, the behavioral approach to organizational
commitment is based on cost benefits decisions of leaving or remaining with the
organization (Becker, 1960).
Organizational commitment has been a popular field of study among organizational
22
and behavior researchers since the 1960s starting with Becker’s (1960) work. Becker
concludes that “commitments come into being when a person, by making a side-bet,
links extraneous interests with a consistent line of activity” and, further, that
individual bonds to the organization are based on “instrumental interests” such as
salary and benefits. From that point, interest in the phenomenon expanded. For
example, Marsh and Mannari (1977) reported that “there has been a continuing
interest in the commitment of employees to their organization”. This is because
organizational commitment is recognized as one of the major determinants of
organizational effectiveness (Steers, 1975). Ferris and Aranya (1983) added that
“organizational commitment is becoming an increasingly valued construct to predict
performance, absenteeism and turnover”. Liou and Nyhan (1994) point out that
management is recognizing the link between increased organizational commitment
and higher levels of job performance, lower levels of absenteeism and lower levels of
employee turnover. Mitchell, Holtom, Lee and Graske (2001) say, “Organizations of
all sizes and types are recognizing that they are engaged in a struggle to retain talent,
and are actively trying to do something about it”.
Mowday, Porter and Steers (1982) identified some of reasons for the increased
popularity of studies related to organizational commitment. For example,
organizational commitment predicts important behaviors such as employee turnover
23
and increased management interest in improving employee commitment and achieving
employee loyalty to the organization. Hom and Griffeth (1995) identify the following
determinants of organizational commitment: procedural justice which is “fair
procedures for allocating rewards in the organization”; expected utility of internal roles
or “prospects for attaining desirable work roles inside the company”; employment
security which deals with employment reliability; and job investment including
pension benefits and on-job training. Meyer and Allen (1997) suggest that it is not
financial rewards that develop organizational commitment; rather, employee
commitment to the organization is based on the opportunity the organization offers its
employees to conduct important and challenging work, the interaction with interesting
people, and the environment that facilitates developing and building new skills. Such
varied views lead naturally to the question of the essential nature of organizational
commitment.
2.2.2 Organizational Commitment Variables
This study adapted its organizational commitment variables from Meyer and Allen
(1997) three-component model of organizational commitment, more specifically:
affective, continuance, and normative commitment. The three-component model of
organizational commitment is addressed in the following section.
24
2.2.2.1 Affective Commitment
The first approach to view affective commitment is based on emotions. Kantor (1968)
was the first to identify that commitment to the organization is considered an affective
or emotional attachment. He describes how “cohesion commitment involves the
attaching of an individual’s fund of affectivity and emotions to the group…cohesion
commitment is commitment to a set of social relationships”. The affective commitment
of employees to their organizations is further addressed by Mowday, Steers and Porter
(1979) by defining organizational commitment as “the relative strength of an individual
identification with and involvement in a particular organization”. Meyer and Allen
(1997) recognized that “affective commitment develops on the basis of work
experiences that employees find rewarding or fulfilling”. Affective commitment is
based on emotional attachment to the organization. Employees choose to remain with
the organization because they “desire” to stay.
2.2.2.2 Continuance Commitment
The second approach to view commitment is based on cost to the individual. Becker
(1960) suggests, “Commitments come into being when a person, by making a side-bet,
links extraneous interests with a consistent line of activity”. Moreover, that
commitment is associated with the individual’s recognition of the costs associated with
continuing or discontinuing the activity. Kantor (1968) reports that cognitive
25
continuous commitment takes place when there is a “profit associated with continued
participation and a cost associated with leaving”. Meyer and Allen (1997) suggest that
“continuance commitment refers to employee’s awareness that costs are associated
with leaving the organization…continuance commitment can develop as a result of any
action or event that increases the costs of leaving the organization, provided the
employee recognizes that these costs have been incurred”. Continuance commitment is
based on perceived cost associated with leaving the organization. Employees remain
with the organization because they “have to” stay.
2.2.2.3 Normative Commitment
The third and final approach to view commitment is based on obligations. Wiener
(1982) defines organizational commitment wholly in this regards: the “totality of
internalized normative pressures to act in a way which meets organizational goals and
interests, and suggests that individuals exhibit behaviors solely because they believe it
is the right and moral thing to do”. This is the less common, but equally important
approach to view organizational commitment. Normative commitment was defined as
employees’ feelings of obligation to remain with the organization (Meyer & Allen,
1990). Meyer and Allen (1997) suggest that “normative commitment refers to an
employee’s feelings of obligation to remain with the organization. Thus, employees
with strong normative commitment will remain with an organization by virtue of their
26
belief that it is the “right and moral” thing to do”. Normative commitment is based on
the belief that it is an employee’s obligation to be committed to the organization.
Employees remain with the organization because they believe they “should” stay in the
organization.
2.2.3 Consequences of Organizational Commitment
Understanding work on the consequences of organizational commitment is relevant to
understanding the multidimensionality of the construct as well. Pinks (1992) points out
“there are many reasons for an organization to increase the level of commitment among
its employees, among which are: lower employee turnover; decreased absenteeism,
longer job tenure; and enhanced performance”. Mowday, Porter and Steers (1982)
divide the consequences of organizational commitment into three categories:
consequences for individuals, consequences for work groups and consequences for the
organizations.
For the individual, positive consequences include “feelings belonging and attachment,
security, goals and direction, positive self-image, organizational rewards, and
attractiveness to other potential employees”; negative consequences include “reduced
mobility and career advancement, reduced self-development and growth, family
tensions, and stress”. For the work group, positive consequences include “membership
stability, group effectiveness, and cohesiveness”, negative consequences include
27
“groupthink, lower creativity and adaptation, and intra-group conflict”. For the
organization, positive consequences include “increased effectiveness due to individual
effort; reduced turnover; reduced absenteeism; and reduced tardiness, and
attractiveness to non-organizational members”, and negative consequences include
“decreased effectiveness due to reduced turnover and reduced absenteeism, and lower
innovation and adaptation”.
In their analyses of three-component model of organizational commitment, Meyer and
Allen (1997) suggest that employees with strong affective commitment will not have a
high rate of absenteeism and will be motivated to do better on job. Employees with
strong continuance commitment will stay longer with the organization for reasons
because leaving the organization will be more costly to them. Employees with strong
normative commitment will have better job performance, work attendance and
organizational citizenship, because they are linked to the organization by feelings of
obligation and duty.
2.3 Employee Training
Noe (2002) defines training as planned activities on the part of the organization targeted
towards increasing the job knowledge and skills or to modify the attitudes and
behaviors of employees in ways consistent with the goals of the organization and the
28
requirement of the job. For purposes of this study, employee training includes formal
training, informal training, on-job-training, professional development and other
developmental learning activities that prepare the employee for his present job as well
as possible future jobs.
Kalleberg, Knoke, Marsden and Spaeth (1996) identify four theoretical approaches of
employer job training: human capital theory, credential-screening approaches,
structural explanations and institutionalization. Becker’s (1975) human capital theory
emphasizes that relationship between the employee and the employer is an investment
that leads to improved organizational efficiency and effectiveness. According to
Becker, the organization provides its employees with the necessary job training if it
anticipates that it can increase worker productivity to offset its training costs. Human
capital theory suggests that organizations provide its employees both general and firm
specific training.
Credential and screening principle is the second theoretical approach of employer job
training. According to Kalleberg et al (1996), selection of new employees is based on
employee credentials and likelihood of staying with the organization for long periods
to enable the employee to payback the costs of informal work experiences and formal
job training. This approach attempts to explain the types of employees that are most
likely to receive employer sponsored job training.
29
Structural explanations theory of employer job training explains that “the structure of
work sittings may facilitate or constrain individual job training opportunities…for
example, computer manufacturing companies require highly specialized software and
hardware skills. When external labor markets, comprising mixes of recent school
graduates and experienced worker willing to leave their current employers, persistently
fail to furnish the demanded skills, computer manufactures are compelled to create such
employees for themselves” (Kalleberg et al, 1996).
Institutionalization is the fourth and final theory of employer job training. Kalleberg et
al (1996) report that, “organizations and their employees are mutually shaped by the
larger cultural environments within which they are embedded, these environmental
conditions induce substantial uniformity among organizational practices, including job
training programs and policies, by conferring greater legitimacy on organizations that
adopt conventional structures”.
Employee training has been identified as a key factor of human resource management
practices that facilitates and contributes to gaining competitive advantage (Schuler &
MacMillan, 1984). Noe (1999) suggests that “training refers to a planned effort by a
company to facilitate employees’ learning of job-related competencies. These
competencies include knowledge, skills or behaviors that are critical for successful job
performance. According to Noe, Wilk, Mullen and Wanek (1997), “training is a
30
necessary component of companies’ efforts to improve quality, meet the challenges of
global competition, use new technologies in producing products and services, and
capitalize on the strength of a diverse workforce”.
2.3.1 Benefits of Employee Training
According to Craig (1996), an employee benefits from on-job training in many ways.
For example, on-job-training:
…Reduces unproductive periods of assimilation of new employees to the
work requirements; therefore increasing individual productivity more
quickly, ensures that employees learn how to perform tasks in line with the
expectations and standards of the organization; the work unit, and the
manager-supervisor, allows the learner to experience the day-to-day
realities of the job which provides an opportunity to identity problems or
discrepancies and enhance present job methods and procedures, eliminates
the transfer-of-training problem experienced in other training
methodologies since learning is one in the actual workplace, encourages
the creation and maintenance of job and task descriptions and standards and
procedures which support consistency and continuity in the job, increases
learner’s confidence and productiveness by allowing them to work at their
31
own rate, establishes and strengthens relationship between leaner and
supervisor through positive reinforcement and feedback, increases the
supervisor’s understanding of the work done by individual contributors
through the review and implementation of training plans, defines outcomes
in advance, which increases the predictability of achieving results, requires
active involvement by learners and on-job training instructors, which is a
cornerstone for any learning process, incorporates just-in-time training
principles which support the concept of learning new skills as required, and
establishes a learning partnership between the new employee and the
organization which reinforces joint training and development solutions…
In short, on-job training increases efficiency and effectiveness of the workforce and
facilitates achieving organizational goals and objectives.
2.3.2 Types of Training Benefits
Noe and Wilk (1993) developed a fourteen-item scale that measures the benefits of
employee training based on an earlier study of Nordhaug (1989). According to Noe and
Wilk (1993), employee participation in training activities results in three types of
benefits: personal benefits, career benefits and job-related benefits. Personal benefits
represent the extent to which employees believe that participation in training activities
32
help them network, improve their job performance and make progress towards their
personal development. Career benefits result from participation in training activities
that lead to identifying career objectives, reaching career objectives and creating
opportunity to purse new career paths. Finally, job-related benefits lead to better
relationship between peers and managers, and provide a necessary break from the job.
2.3.3 Relationship between Employee Training and Organizational
Commitment
A literature review of training and organizational commitment suggests that there is a
relationship between employee training and organizational commitment. However, the
exact nature of the relationship is unclear. It is important to investigate the relationship
between employees’ beliefs regarding training benefits and employees’ organizational
commitment for both theoretical and practical reasons. This study will contribute to
theory by adding to what is known about organizational commitment and employee
training at the individual level of analysis, and by expanding the body of knowledge
with respect to the relationship between employees’ beliefs regarding training benefits
and employees’ organizational commitment, particularly in Malaysian context.
33
2.4 Conscientiousness
Personality has been conceptualized from a variety of theoretical perspectives, and at
various levels of abstraction (John, Hampson, & Goldberg, 1991; McAdams, 1995).
The number of personality traits, and scales designed to measure them, escalated
without an end in sight (Goldberg, 1971). However, the consensus is emerging that a
five-factor model of personality can be used to describe the most salient aspects of
personality (Goldberg, 1990). Even the cross-cultural generalize-ability of the
Big-Five model has been established through research in many countries (McCrae &
Costa, 1997). Evidence indicates that the Big-Five traits are heritable and stable over
time (Costa & McCrae, 1988; Digman, 1989). The dimensions comprising the
five-factor model are Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Openness to Experience,
Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness. The literature on personality, however,
suggests that two of the Big-Five personality traits, Conscientiousness and Emotional
Stability (Neuroticism), may be valid for predicting performance on most or all jobs
(Barrick & Mount, 1991; Hurtz & Donovan, 2000; Salgado, 1997).
Conscientiousness as a personality dimension is likely to have a direct impact on
person behavior. Costa & McCare (1992) reported competence, order, dutifulness,
achievement striving, and self-discipline as the facets of conscientiousness, which
clearly leads us to recognize the important of this particular trait especially in an
34
organizational context. Many studies support Barrick & Mount’s (1991) findings that
conscientiousness is probably important for any job, regardless of whether it is
self-managed or traditionally structured. The reason behind these findings might
because of the very nature of conscientious people who tend to be self-motivated and
task oriented (Aronoff & Wilson, 1985; Barrick & Mount, 1993; Costa & McCare,
1992).
Hence, people do, in fact, have long term, dispositional traits, such as
conscientiousness, that influence their behavior in work settings and this idea is
relatively well accepted now (Mount & Barrick, 1998).
35
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction
The relationship between employee training and organizational commitment is unclear
and under explored. A review of the literature on employee training and organizational
commitment suggest that there is a relationship between employee training and
organizational commitment (Becker, 1975; Pinks, 1992; Meyer & Smith, 2000;
Bartlett, 2001). Furthermore, the research has yet to find the moderation effect of
conscientiousness, as a personality dimension, on the above relationship. However,
literature states briefly the importance of personality, especially conscientiousness,
regarding work behaviors. Therefore it is worth testing the moderating effect of the
conscientiousness on the relationship of training benefits and organizational
commitment.
However, there is limited empirical research available in Malaysia to know the
relationship between employee training and organizational commitment as well as the
moderating effect of conscientiousness.
This is a quantitative study utilizing survey methodology. The study design is
considered associational or non-experimental co-relational descriptive research design.
In this research, the objective is to identify the relationship between employees’ beliefs
regarding training benefits as measured by personal, career and job-related benefits and
36
employees’ organizational commitment as measured by affective, continuance and
normative commitment, and to see the moderating effect of conscientiousness on the
relationship.
This part of the study includes the research design as well as the development of
hypotheses, sampling design, data collection procedures along with survey instrument,
and data analysis techniques.
3.2 Development of Hypotheses and Research Design
The study examined the relationship between employees’ beliefs regarding training
benefits as measured by Noe and Wilk (1993) benefits of employee training and
employees’ organizational commitment as measured by Meyer and Allen (1997) the
three-component model of organizational commitment, and to further explore the
moderating effect of personality (conscientiousness of Big-Five) on this relationship.
Both main theories, Noe and Wilk (1993) benefits of employee training and Meyer and
Allen (1997) three components of Organizational Commitment, used in this research
are well-grounded theories and are appropriate to measure the relationship between
employees’ beliefs regarding training benefits and employees’ organizational
commitment.
37
3.2.1 Development of Hypothesis
This study will examine the following research hypotheses:
Affective commitment:
H1a. There is a positive relationship between affective organizational commitment
and personal, career, and job-related benefits of training.
H1b. Demographic factors (age, gender, education and length of service) positively
predict employees’ affective organizational commitment.
H1c. Conscientiousness positively moderates the relationship between affective
organizational commitment and benefits of training (personal, career and
job-related).
Continuance commitment:
H2a. There is a positive relationship between continuance organizational
commitment and personal, career, and job-related benefits of training.
H2b. Demographic factors (age, gender, education and length of service) positively
predict employees’ continuance organizational commitment.
H2c. Conscientiousness positively moderates the relationship between continuance
organizational commitment and benefits of training (personal, career and
job-related).
Normative commitment:
38
H3a. There is a positive relationship between normative organizational
commitment and personal, career, and job-related benefits of training.
H3b. Demographic factors (age, gender, education and length of service) positively
predict employees’ normative organizational commitment.
H3c. Conscientiousness positively moderates the relationship between normative
organizational commitment and benefits of training (personal, career and job-related).
3.2.2 Research Design
The research design of this study is based on the Meyer and Allen’s (1997)
three-component model of organizational commitment and Noe and Wilk’s (1993)
three-component model of benefits of training.
The selection of Meyer’s and Allen’s (1997) three-component model of organizational
commitment for this study is based on two major reasons. First, the model has been
assessed and validated by a number of researchers and been used and accepted by
recent multidimensional studies of employee commitment. Moreover, on an
assessment of the three-component model of organizational commitment, researchers
supported the reliability of the affective, continuance, and normative commitment
scales. Second, the model offers a survey instrument for studying and measuring
organizational commitment variables.
39
Noe’s and Wilk’s (1993) personal, career and job-related benefits of training is used to
measure employee training because it is also a well accepted model as Phillips (1997)
report that increased organizational commitment is one of the benefits of employee
training.
Figure 1 show the research framework used to conduct the study. This framework
focuses on understanding relationships between employees’ beliefs regarding personal,
career and job-related training benefits and employees’ organizational commitment
representing commitment as affective, continuance and normative commitment.
Conscientiousness in this model shows the possible moderating effect of this important
Figure 1: Research Model
40
Big-Five personality dimension on the basic relationships of training benefits and
organizational commitment.
This research design identifies the relationships between the constructs (proposition)
and the relationships between the research variables (questions or hypotheses) based on
review of relevant literature related to employee training and organizational
commitment. More specifically, the study is built around two main constructs:
employee training and organizational commitment, and one moderating construct i.e.
conscientiousness.
3.2.3 Research Variables
The variables in this study are divided into three main categories: organizational
commitment variables, employee training related variables, and conscientiousness.
Organizational commitment variables include: affective commitment, continuance
commitment and normative commitment (Meyer & Allen, 1997). Employee training
variables include personal benefits, career benefits and job-related benefits of training
(Noe & Wilk, 1993). Whereas, conscientiousness is one of the five personality
dimensions of Big-Five personality model and has been tested in this study as a
moderating variable on the relationship of employees’ commitment and training
benefits.
41
Employees’ organizational commitment was examined as a possible consequence of a
condition affected by employees’ beliefs regarding training benefits. Therefore,
employees’ organizational commitment (affective commitment, continuance
commitment and normative commitment) is the dependent variable under
investigation.
Whereas, employees’ beliefs regarding training benefits were considered a possible
antecedent, or predictor, of employees’ organizational commitment; therefore,
employees’ beliefs regarding training benefits (personal benefits, career benefits and
job-related benefits) were viewed as the independent variable.
The study also investigates the moderating effect of conscientiousness on the
relationship of commitment and training. So it is a moderating variable in the study.
Additionally, some demographic factors (age, gender, level of education and length of
experience) have also been tested to find whether they play an important role in
predicting employees’ organizational commitment, if yes then which one is more
significant.
3.3 Research Site and Sampling Design
Malaysia is the research site of this study and therefore Malaysian employees become
the target subjects to collect data, regardless of the type of organization and the
42
industry. Employees of public as well as private sector organizations of Malaysia, who
are the Malaysian citizens, have been considered as study sample for this research
work. Basically, the method of convenient data sampling has been adopted to collect
data for the study.
This study will exclude subjects who are:
Not Malaysian citizens
Blue collar employees
Never attended any training activity
Temporary employees
3.4 Selection of Measures (Survey Instrument)
The data used for this study is obtained through Meyer and Allen’s (1997) three
components of organizational commitment questionnaire and Noe and Wilk’s (1993)
three components of benefits of employee training questionnaire, as is used by
Mohammed A. S. and Michael J. M., (2007). The scale to measure conscientiousness
has been adopted from an open internet source, International Personality Item Pool,
developed by Lewis R. Goldberg. All three sections of the questionnaire representing
organizational commitment, training benefits and conscientiousness measure the
responses on a Lickert scale ranging from 1=strongly disagree/very inaccurate (for
43
conscientiousness) to 7=strongly agree/very accurate (for Conscientiousness).
Additional demographic information items (gender, age, education and length of
service) were also included in the survey to facilitate describing the sample and
predicting organizational commitment behavior.
Given below is the brief summary of the instrument used for this study, full survey
questionnaire can be seen in appendix.
. The survey consists of the following measures:
The three-component model of organizational commitment is represented
by 23 items to measure organizational commitment. Eight items assess
affective organizational commitment, nine items assess continuance
organizational commitment and six items assess normative organizational
commitment.
Employee benefits of training are represented by a 14-item scale that
measures the benefits of employee training. Five items assess the personal
benefits of employee training, six items assess the career benefits of
employee training and three items assess the job-related benefits of
employee training.
Conscientiousness has been measured by 10-item scale, developed by
44
Lewis R. Goldberg as an open source, but with a slight difference of
measurement scale to make the whole instrument consistent using scales
from 1 to 7, as is used for commitment and training benefits. Six items of
this scale are positive and four items of the scale are arranged in negative
statements, which need to be re-arranging to get real score for
conscientiousness.
Four demographic items – age, gender, education level, and length of
service at the current organization were included in the survey to facilitate
the interpretation of the results.
Meyer and Allen (1997) report that median reliabilities for the affective, continuance,
and normative commitment Scales, respectively, are .85, .79, and .73. Further, Noe
and Wilk (1993) found internal consistency reliability estimate for personal benefits,
career benefits, and job-related benefits of employee training, respectively, to
be .88, .74, and .70.
3.5 Data collection procedure
This study uses primary data collected through convenient sampling from Malaysian
employees through a survey questionnaire. Using questionnaire for data collection is a
valid technique in social sciences research and provides the advantage of measurable
45
responses for apparently non-measurable variables like commitment and training
benefits. However, there might be some disadvantages associated with survey
questionnaire, as the level of motivation to respond, knowledge of the respondent,
understanding the constructs etc may vary. But still survey questionnaire is an
affordable and easy to use data collection technique and provides measurable data.
The questionnaire for this study was prepared carefully to give ease to the respondents
to respond. A soft copy of the questionnaire with check boxes for each question to
respond was prepared to get online responses through e-mailing and the hard copy of
the same was used to distribute physically to the respondents by convenient sampling.
Almost four hundred questionnaires, including both soft and hard copies, were
distributed to the Malaysian employees with the special request to contribute in
understanding the relationship between training benefits and organizational
commitment in Malaysia. Although the response from the target subjects was not fast
and encouraging at first, still the researcher could receive two hundred and sixty
responses lately. However, about sixty one questionnaires received back were not up
to the standards, missing major sections of the survey or looking just filled half
heartedly, therefore, leaving the researcher with one hundred and ninety nine
complete questionnaires for data analysis.
Hence, the study used one hundred and ninety nine complete survey questionnaires
46
for data analysis, without any missing entries.
3.6 Data Analysis Techniques
This study has been conducted at the individual level of analysis. The research
questions and data collection direct the data analysis method for this study. This is a
quantitative study using survey methodology for data collection and the study design
is considered associational design. In this type of research the objective is “to measure
the degree and direction of the influence of the independent on the dependent
variables and to assess the statistical significance of the relationship” (Alreck & Settle,
2004, p. 329).
3.7 Statistical Analysis
Statistical analysis techniques vary based on the type of data collected, as Fink (2003)
reported that the type of scale and data dictate the statistical techniques to be used in
the study. This study used the Meyer and Allen (1997) three-component model of
organizational commitment and Noe and Wilk (1993) benefits of employee training to
collect the data needed. Responses were made using 7-point Likert-type scale, ranging
from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). Meyer and Allen’s (1997) model
consists of 23 items to measure organizational commitment: eight items assess
affective organizational commitment, nine items assess continuance organizational
commitment and six items assess normative organizational commitment. Noe and
47
Wilk’s (1993) instrument consists of 14 items to measure benefits of employee
training: five items measure personal benefits of training, six items to measure career
benefits of training and three items to measure job-related benefits of training.
Two types of statistical analysis were conducted for this study using SPSS 16.0,
which is a reliable data analysis tool for social sciences research. First, descriptive
statistics used to calculate mean, maximum, minimum, and standard deviations for all
study variables including demographic information. Second, sequential moderated
multiple regression analysis has been used to test the relationships between study
variables as mentioned in the research questions and hypotheses of this study.
The study used sequential multiple regression analysis for three reasons. First, to
investigate the relationship between variables, and second to identify the strength of
the relationships. Thirdly, this type of multiple regressions modeling technique can
test the moderating effect of a proposed moderator in the study model. More
specifically, sequential multiple regression analysis has been employed to identify the
relationship between employees’ beliefs regarding training benefits as measured by
personal, career and job-related benefits (independent variables), employees’
organizational commitment as measured by affective, continuance and normative
commitment (dependent variables), and the moderating effect of conscientiousness
(moderating variable).
48
CHAPTER 4: RESEARCH RESULTS
This chapter reports the statistical analysis results of the study and explains techniques
used to answer the research questions and test research hypotheses. The results of the
study are organized in three sections. Summary statistics presents simply the
descriptive and inferential statistical results. Testing of hypotheses discusses the
acceptance or rejection of research hypotheses, along with analysis of measures,
based on the research results found by data analysis. And finally summary of research
results summarizes the chapter by providing brief results synopsis again.
4.1 Summary Statistics
4.1.1 Descriptive Statistics
Descriptive statistics has been obtained by using SPSS 16.0 to calculate mean and
standard deviations for the study variables and demographic information using
responses from 199 surveys. The descriptive statistics measures are given in the
Table-1 below. Further, pie charts have been plotted to better understand the study
sample and to show the percentage frequencies for the demographic information of
the sample.
49
Table 1: Descriptive Statistics
N Range Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation Variance
Affective Commitment 199 34 19 53 34.75 5.866 34.409
Continuance
Commitment199 45 14 59 40.57 8.977 80.579
Normative
Commitment199 33 9 42 26.18 8.328 69.348
Personal Benefits of
Training199 26 9 35 28.04 5.000 24.998
Career Benefits of
Training199 36 6 42 30.05 6.997 48.963
Job Benefits of
Training199 18 3 21 13.27 5.055 25.550
Conscientiousness 199 32 30 62 45.52 5.688 32.352
Gender 199 1 1 2 1.49 .501 .251
Age 199 4 1 5 2.65 .783 .613
Level of Education 199 5 1 6 3.82 1.066 1.136
Experience with
current organization199 6 1 7 3.85 1.469 2.159
Valid N (listwise) 199
Figure 2 shows the gender percentage of the survey respondents, 102 respondents are
males and 97 are females out of 199 total responses used.
Figure 2 : Gender
50
Figure 3 shows age statistics of the sample, two age categories are very prominent in
the sample i.e. 96 (48.2%) respondents belong to 21-30 years of age and 71 (35.7%)
belong to 31-40 years age. We can say that most of the respondents for this survey are
young professionals between the ages of 21 to 40.
AGE - Sample Percentages
1.5
48.2
35.7
13.1
1.5UNDER 21YEARS
21-30 YEARS
31-40 YEARS
41-50 YEARS
51-60 YEARS
Figure 3 : Age
Figure 4 : Level of Education
EDUCATION LEVEL - Sample Percentages
1.512.1
20.1
36.7
28.1
1.5HIGH SCHOOL
SOME COLLEGE
2 YEAR COLLEGEDEGREE
4 YEAR COLLEGEDEGREE
MASTER DEGREE
DOCTORAL DEGREE
51
Figure 4 above shows the level of education of the respondents. Most of the
respondents have four years degree (73, 36.7%) and master degree (56, 28.1%). It
means the respondents of this study are well educated.
Figure 5 provides the information about the length of service of the respondents with
their current organizations. Sample is well dispersed in terms of length of service with
their current organizations. However, 58 respondents have the length of service from
1 to 3 years (29.1%) and 51 have 3 to 5 years (25.6%) experience with their current
organizations.
Figure 5 : Experience
4.1.2 Inferential Statistics
First of all the correlation matrix have been taken for all the predicting variables of
organizational commitment that is the dependent variable in three components;
EXPERIENCE - Sample Percentages
313.6
29.1
25.6
13.6
8.56.5
LESS THAN 6 MONTHS
6 MONTHS TO LESSTHAN 1 YEAR
1 TO LESS THAN 3YEARS
3 TO LESS THAN 5YEARS
5 TO LESS THAN 7YEARS
7 TO LESS THAN 9YEARS
OVER 9 YEARS
52
affective commitment, continuance commitment and normative commitment. Table 2
summarizes the correlations of the independent variables.
Table 2 : Correlation Matrix of the predicting variables
PBT CBT JBT
Consc
.
Gende
r Age
Educa
.
Exp
.
Personal Benefits 1
Career Benefits .487** 1
Job Benefits .182* .343** 1
Conscientiousnes
s .038 .167* .078 1
Gender .103 -.048
-.03
8 -.103 1
Age
-.203*
*
-.234*
*
-.04
5 -.021 -.243** 1
Education -.147* -.082 .099 .139* -.245**
.252*
* 1
Length of Service -.064 .006
-.03
1 -.079 -.229**
.603*
* .164* 1
**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).
*. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).
Correlations matrix can be viewed to see the multicollinearity problem and
correlations between the predicting variables. The existence of correlation of about
0.8 or larger indicates that there is a problem of multicollinearity (Lewis-Back, 1993).
None of the pair-wise coefficient of correlation is 0.8 or larger in any of the
observations above. So by examining the correlation matrix among the explanatory
variable we can say that there is no multicollinearity problem found.
Sequential multiple regression analysis results for all three dependent variables
53
(affective commitment, continuance commitment and normative commitment) are
shown in tables 3, 4 and 5 below.
54
Table 3: Multiple Regression results for Affective Commitment (as dependent)
Dependent Variable Model
One
Model
Two
Model
Three
Model
Four
Independent Variables
Constant 27.095 29.192 33.486 43.415
(11.136)*** (7.485)*** (6.821)*** (2.107)**
Personal Benefits -0.013 -.007 -.010 -.689
(-0.169) (-.083) (-.123) (-1.076)
Career Benefits .288 .291 .312 .577
(3.522)*** (3.406)*** (3.610)*** (.763)
Job Benefits .054 .061 .060 .394
(.750) (.821) (.813) (.652)
Gender -.084 -.092 -.097
(-1.150) (-1.256) (-1.320)
Age .082 .089 .081
(.890) (.962) (.862)
Education -.092 -.077 -.089
(-1.256) (-1.048) (-1.201)
Experience -.046 -.063 -.061
(-.524) (-.708) (-.678)
Conscientiousness -.101 -.284
(-1.433) (-.666)
PB_Interactions .836
(1.063)
CB_Interaction -.331
(-.356)
JB_Interaction -.359
(-.552)
No of Observations
R-Square
F-Statistics
199
0.093
(6.656)***
199
0.108
(3.300)***
199
0.117
(3.160)***
199
0.127
(2.464)***
Note: *** Significant at 1% level,
** Significant at 5% level
* Significant at 10% level.
55
Table 4: Multiple Regression results for Continuance Commitment (as dependent)
Dependent Variable Model
One
Model
Two
Model
Three
Model
Four
Independent Variables
Constant 35.750 42.007 46.459 54.256
(9.364)*** (6.869)*** (6.017)*** (1.668)*
Personal Benefits -0.081 -.075 -.077 -.341
(-1.015) (-.922) (-.947) (-.516)
Career Benefits .251 .244 .258 .201
(2.996)*** (2.790)*** (2.910)*** (.258)
Job Benefits -.033 -.032 -.032 .278
(-.436) (-.422) (-.429) (.447)
Gender -.116 -.121 -.123
(-1.546) (-1.611) (-1.619)
Age .024 .028 .022
(.251) (.297) (.222)
Education -.055 -.045 -.053
(-.737) (-.598) (-.692)
Experience -.092 -.103 -.100
(-1.024) (-1.138) (-1.077)
Conscientiousness -.069 -.163
(-.945) (-.372)
PB_Interactions .320
(.395)
CB_Interaction .067
(.070)
JB_Interaction -.336
(-.501)
No of Observations
R-Square
F-Statistics
199
0.046
(3.151)**
199
0.063
(1.845)*
199
0.068
(1.725)*
199
0.071
(1.299)
Note: *** Significant at 1% level,
** Significant at 5% level
* Significant at 10% level.
56
Table 5: Multiple Regression results for Normative Commitment (as dependent)
Dependent Variable Model
One
Model
Two
Model
Three
Model
Four
Independent Variables
Constant 25.193 26.314 25.481 -27.588
(6.986)*** (4.622)*** (3.537)*** (-.931)
Personal Benefits -0.070 -.038 -.038 -.646
(-.864) (-.470) (-.463) (-.997)
Career Benefits .087 .098 .095 .2.268
(1.023) (1.121) (1.069) (2.962)
Job Benefits .053 .047 .047 .080
(.694) (.623) (.623) (.132)
Gender -.166 -.165 -.161
(-2.217)** (-2.191)** (-2.160)**
Age .158 .157 .138
(1.668)* (1.652)* (1.452)
Education -.056 -.058 -.060
(-.752) (-.769) (-.797)
Experience -.071 -.069 -.047
(-.783) (-.750) (-.516)
Conscientiousness .014 .836
(.190) (1.940)*
PB_Interactions .799
(1.003)
CB_Interaction -2.709
(-2.876)***
JB_Interaction -.028
(-.042)
No of Observations
R-Square
F-Statistics
199
0.011
(.735)
199
0.057
(1.641)
199
0.057
(1.433)
199
0.104
(1.981)**
Note: *** Significant at 1% level,
** Significant at 5% level
* Significant at 10% level.
57
Sequential moderated multiple regression analysis has been conducted to verify the
relationships designed for this research. Altogether three regression analysis, with four
sequential models each, have been run for each dependent variables of the study.
Every regression analysis includes all three independent training benefits variables
(personal training benefits, career training benefits, and job-related training benefits)
in the first model, and then scoots demographic factors in the second model and
conscientiousness (moderating variable) in the third model. Fourth model uses the
interaction scores for all three training benefits independent variables to test the
moderating effect of conscientiousness on the relationships between dependent
variable and independent variables.
Interaction scores were computed by multiplying conscientiousness scores of each
respondent with each training benefits’ component (personal, career and job-related)
scores. So three interaction scores are used in the fourth model of sequential
moderating multiple analysis to test the moderation effect of conscientiousness on the
relationship of organizational commitment and training benefits respectively.
All the regression results are given above in tables 3, 4 and 5 for affective
commitment, continuance commitment and normative commitment respectively.
58
4.2 Testing of Hypotheses
To test each of the research hypothesis, sequential multiple regression analysis were
performed via SPSS 16.0 software. This sequential multiple regression analysis was
used to determine factors that influence each level of organizational commitment
(affective, continuance and normative) when all factors (personal benefits of training,
career benefits of training, job-related benefits of training, gender, age, education,
length of service, and conscientiousness) were taken into consideration. The results
are summarized in tables 3, 4 and 5 in the previous section of the report. Additional
and detailed results are also reported in Appendix 1.
Affective commitment:
H1a. There is a positive relationship between affective organizational commitment
and personal, career, and job-related benefits of training.
H1b. Demographic factors (age, gender, education and length of service) positively
predict employees’ affective organizational commitment.
H1c. Conscientiousness positively moderates the relationship between affective
organizational commitment and benefits of training (personal, career and
job-related).
Affective commitment hypotheses were tested in the first regression using four
models in the sequential moderated multiple regression analysis (results are
59
summarized in table 3 in the previous section). Results indicate that there is a
significant positive relationship between affective organizational commitment and
career benefits of training (p= .001); whereas relationships between affective
organizational commitment and personal benefits of training (p= .866) as well as
job-related benefits of training (p= .454) is not significant. Moreover the relationship
between affective organizational commitment and personal benefits of training is
negative.
None of the demographic factors from gender, age, education and length of service is
predict affective organizational commitment significantly. Gender (p= .252),
education (p= .211), and length of service (p= .601) have even negative relationship
with affective organizational commitment. Only age is positively related with
affective commitment but not significant at (p= .374).
Results for moderating effect of conscientiousness show that conscientiousness does
not moderate significantly the relationship between affective organizational
commitment and training benefits of training. Significance level of conscientiousness
along with interaction variables for personal, career and job-related benefits are
(p= .153), (p= .289), (p= .723), (p= .581) respectively.
Hence, the results partially support hypotheses H1a, as career benefits of training
positively and significantly predict affective commitment, but reject hypotheses H1b
60
and H1c.
Continuance commitment:
H2a. There is a positive relationship between continuance organizational
commitment and personal, career, and job-related benefits of training.
H2b. Demographic factors (age, gender, education and length of service) positively
predict employees’ continuance organizational commitment.
H2c. Conscientiousness positively moderates the relationship between continuance
organizational commitment and benefits of training (personal, career and
job-related).
Continuance organizational commitment hypotheses were tested in the second
regression using four models in the sequential moderated multiple regression analysis
(results are summarized in table 4 in the previous section). Results again indicate that
the only positively significant predictor of continuance organizational commitment is
career benefits of training with (p= .003). Other two training benefits components,
personal benefits (p= .311), job-related benefits (p= .663), are not significant and
negatively related with continuance commitment.
Again in continuance commitment hypotheses testing, none of the demographic
factors from gender, age, education and length of service predict continuance
61
organizational commitment significantly. Gender (p= .124), education (p= .462), and
length of service (p= .307) again have negative relationship even with continuance
organizational commitment. Only age is positively related with continuance
commitment but not significant at (p= .802).
Moreover, results for moderating effect of conscientiousness still do not show any
positively significant moderating effect of conscientiousness on the relationship of
continuance organizational commitment and benefits of training. Significance level of
conscientiousness along with interaction variables for personal, career and job-related
benefits are (p= .346), (p= .693), (p= .944), (p= .617) respectively.
Therefore, even for the continuance organizational commitment, only career benefits
of training predict continuance commitment, partially supporting hypotheses H2a and
rejecting both hypotheses H2b and H2c.
Normative commitment:
H3a. There is a positive relationship between normative organizational
commitment and personal, career, and job-related benefits of training.
H3b. Demographic factors (age, gender, education and length of service) positively
predict employees’ normative organizational commitment.
H3c. Conscientiousness moderates the relationship between normative
organizational commitment and benefits of training (personal, career and
62
job-related).
Normative organizational commitment hypotheses were tested in the third regression
using four models in the sequential moderated multiple regression analysis (results are
summarized in table 5 in the previous section). Interestingly, the results for normative
commitment do not show any expected predicting factor as positively significant,
instead of age at very low positive significance level (p= .097). It leads the researcher
to reject almost all his normative commitment hypotheses (H3a, H3b, and H3c) and
accept the null hypotheses that there is not a positive relationship between normative
commitment and benefits of training represented as personal, career and job-related.
Further, neither demographic factors, instead of age at very low positive significance
level (p= .097), play an important role in the relationship nor conscientiousness
moderates the relationship.
P-values of the predictors in this relationship are as follows: personal benefits are
negatively related with (p= .389), career benefits and job-related benefits though
positive but not significant at (p= .308) and (p= .488) respectively, gender (p= .028)
though significant but have negative relationship, education (p= .453) and length of
service (p= .434) have inverse relationship. Only age is positively and significantly
related with normative commitment at (p= .097) 90% significant level.
Further, conscientiousness has positive relationship but not significant at (p= .850),
63
with interaction variables personal benefits interaction (p= .317), career benefits
interaction (p= .004) but negative, job-related benefits interaction (p= .967) negative,
not showing any significant change in the relationship.
Therefore, looking at the results for normative commitment, the researcher concludes
that there does not exist the relationship between normative organizational
commitment and benefits of training represented by personal, career and job-related.
4.3 Summary of Research Results
The statistical analysis for this study has been conducted in two steps using SPSS 16.0
software. First, descriptive statistics (frequencies) were conducted to describe the
sample and indicate the degree to which the sample data represents the study
population. Second, inferential statistics (Regression analysis) was conducted to
examine the relationship between study variables as highlighted in the research
questions and to test the research hypotheses. More specifically, sequential moderated
multiple regression analysis was employed to identify the relationships between
employees’ beliefs regarding training benefits as measured by personal, career and
job-related benefits (independent variables) and employees’ organizational
commitment as measured by affective, continuance and normative commitment
(dependent variables), as well as to test the moderating effect of conscientiousness on
64
the relationship.
In summary, the results show career benefits of training alone as positive and
significant predictor of two organizational commitment components (affective
commitment and continuance commitment) and all other expected predictors such as
personal benefits of training and job-related benefits of training including
demographic factors non-significant. However, even career benefits of training do not
have a positive and significant relationship with the third organizational commitment
component that is normative commitment. In addition, conscientiousness does not
show any moderating effect, positively and significantly, on the relationship of
organizational commitment (affective, continuance and normative) and benefits of
training (personal, career and job-related).
65
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This chapter summarizes the research study, discussing the findings of the study in the
context of the theoretical framework and the literature review. The chapter is
organized into three sections: summary and conclusion, suggestions for future
research, and possible implications of the study.
5.1 Summary and Conclusion
The research question that provided the foundation for the study was: What is the
relationship between employees’ beliefs regarding training benefits and employees’
organizational commitment in Malaysia, and does conscientiousness moderate this
relationship. More specifically, five sub-questions were addressed: What is the
relationship between Affective Commitment and personal benefits, career benefits,
and job-related benefits of employee training respectively? What is the relationship
between Continuance Commitment and personal benefits, career benefits, and
job-related benefits of employee training respectively? What is the relationship
between Normative Commitment and personal benefits, career benefits, and
job-related benefits of employee training respectively? Does conscientiousness
moderate the relationship between training benefits (personal, career and job-related)
and organizational commitment (affective, continuance and normative)? And, do
66
demographic factors represented by age, gender, education and length of service make
a difference in the employees’ Organizational Commitment represented by affective,
continuance and normative commitment?
This study is only of its type conducted in Malaysia with three component models of
organizational commitment (affective, continuance and normative) and benefits of
training measured as personal, career and job-related. Although the study is
constructed on two well grounded theories, it shows some interesting findings that
differ from the previous findings of Al-Emadi and Marquardt (2007).
In their study Al-Emadi and Marquardt (2007) found that affective commitment is
positively related with personal, career and job-related benefits of training, however
job-related benefits of training do not significantly predict affective commitment.
They also found a positive and significant relationship between continuance
commitment and personal, career and job-related benefits of training. Further they
found that only job-related benefits of training (though positive), do not significantly
predict normative commitment.
Whereas this study shows quite interesting findings in terms of the relationship
between organizational commitment and benefits of training. It found only career
benefits of training positively and significantly predicting only two types of
organizational commitment i.e. affective commitment and continuance commitment.
67
None of the other expected factors predict organizational commitment positively as
well as significantly. Although job-related benefits of training and age have positive
relationship with affective commitment but are not significant. Likewise, age has
positive relationship with continuance commitment but is not significant, and also has
a positive and significant relationship with normative commitment but at the 90%
variation with (p= .10). Further, conscientiousness does not positively and
significantly moderates any of the relationship specified in study design.
Before going to the conclusion and comparison of both the studies, we need to
comprehend the concepts associated with commitment and training benefits variables
again. Affective commitment is defined as the employees’ positive emotional
attachment to the organization. An employee who is affectively committed strongly
identifies with the goals of the organization and desires to remain a part of the
organization. Continuance commitment, on the other hand, refers to the sort of
commitment that emerges from the fears of possible uncertainties of future. In other
words, due to the costs associated with job switching, the employee “has to” be
committed. Normative commitment is simply caused by the feelings of obligation
towards the organization and this kind of moral obligation may be derived from kind
of social norms like family associations etc. the nature of normative commitment
clearly demands certain social patterns and longer length of the service with the
68
organization.
Personal benefits of training refers to the employees’ believe that participation in
training activities can help them network, improve their job performance and make
progress towards their personal development. Whereas, identifying career objectives,
reaching career objectives and creating opportunities to pursue new career paths
through training leads employees towards their perception of career benefits. However,
job-related benefits present employees’ perceptions towards better relationship
between peers and managers, and a necessary break from the job.
Research site and sampling design is very much important in examining and
comparing the findings of this study. The demographic information is of high
importance to justify and compare the results of this study with literature. Asad S. A.
and Michael J. M., (2007) conducted their study in a large public petroleum company
of Qatar. The sample of their study was focused on the middle and high level
executives of the company, who might be enjoying high perks and rewards. 72% of
their respondents were between the age of 31 to 50 with 71% having four years
degree and 61% having more than 9 years of experience with the same company.
Characteristics of the research sample of their study obviously lead towards high
organizational commitment.
69
On the other hand, the respondents of this study are mostly young professionals of
private organizations of Malaysia, who are well educated and passionate about their
careers in the fast growing and increasingly saturating business market of Malaysia.
Most of them represent lower length of service with their respective current
organizations as well. Therefore, the sample characteristics of this study give a fair
explanation of the findings of the study. The beliefs of the Malaysian employees of
this study sample might be said more interested in the career benefits of the training
activities and can only be attached/committed affectively and continuously with the
organization if they feel training will provide them opportunities to identify their
career objectives and help them reach their career objectives.
In conclusion, according to the findings based on a limited sample design and unique
characteristics of respondents of this study, it can be said that Malaysian employees
are willing to be committed with their organizations emotionally (affective
commitment) and continually only if they feel the training activities supported or
arranged by their respective organizations would help achieve their career objectives.
Further that the training benefits (personal, career and job-related) do not make them
feel to be committed as an obligation (normative commitment) towards their
organizations.
70
5.2 Suggestions for Future Research
As a result of this study, it is possible to identify a number of areas for further
research. Recommendations for future research include the following:
1. The results of this study do not support all of the previous findings using the
same commitment and training benefits variables. Therefore, the same
research design, using three component models of commitment and benefits of
training, can be re-explored in Malaysia with a more precise and bigger
sample design.
2. Training construct of this study does not segregate training from development
activities. Future research can examine the training construct in a way that
separates training and development activities and then test the relationships
with organizational commitment.
3. Convenient sampling, sampling design of this study, does not allow
generalizing results for all Malaysian employees. Future research can attempt
to find the comparison of this relationship between private and public sector
employees separately.
4. As both the main constructs of this study, commitment and benefits of training,
are difficult to measure through just a survey, future research might use
71
mixed-method approach that includes survey and interview for data collection.
It can give more depth to the study and can help understand why or why not
employees remain committed with their organizations.
5. Organizational commitment is a desired outcome every organization seeks in
its employees. Therefore, future research can look into the relationship of
commitment with other human resource practices like reward and
compensation systems, organizational justice and organizational culture.
6. Conscientiousness as one single personality dimension of Big-Five model, as
used in this study, does not moderate the commitment – training relationship.
But future research can use the whole Big-Five personality model as a
predictor of organizational commitment.
5.3 Implications
A number of implications for practice can be derived from the findings and
conclusions of this study that examined the relationship between employees’ beliefs
regarding training benefits and employees’ organizational commitment. The study has
implications for human resource professionals, managers, and other practitioners
interested in employee training and organizational commitment. Additional research,
needs to be conducted to test the implications within organizations to determine best
72
practices for maintaining human capital.
The implications of this study for practice are given below:
1. Malaysian organizations should very carefully design training and employee
development programs, keeping in mind the career objectives of their
employees, aiming to increase the organizational commitment of its
employees.
2. Organizations need to focus on the level of commitment each employee has
and should try to facilitate monitoring organizational commitment
periodically.
3. Organizations should develop cultures those facilitate employees to stay with
the company longer. It can be achieved through organizational change
activities and/or policies and procedures.
4. Training is a costly process and should not just be there to show training
activities in the organization. A very comprehensive training needs analysis
should be conducted to know individual training needs of all the employees so
that training activity could be transferred to the work place and increase the
commitment level of the employee.
73
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82
Appendix 1 – Survey Instrument
Survey Instrument (Questionnaire)
83
84
85
86
Appendix 2 – Regression Results
SPSS output Regression 1 for Affective Commitment:
Model Summary
Model R
R
Square
Adjusted R
Square
Std. Error of
the
Estimate
Change Statistics
R Square
Change
F
Change df1 df2
Sig. F
Change
1 .305a .093 .079 5.630 .093 6.656 3 195 .000
2 .328b .108 .075 5.641 .015 .803 4 191 .525
3 .343c .117 .080 5.626 .010 2.055 1 190 .153
4 .356d .127 .075 5.641 .009 .653 3 187 .582
a. Predictors: (Constant), Job_Bnfts, Prsnl_Bnfts, Career_Bnfts
b. Predictors: (Constant), Job_Bnfts, Prsnl_Bnfts, Career_Bnfts, LENGTH OF SERVICE WITH
CURRENT ORGANIZATION, LEVEL OF EDUCATION, GENDER, AGE
c. Predictors: (Constant), Job_Bnfts, Prsnl_Bnfts, Career_Bnfts, LENGTH OF SERVICE WITH CURRENT
ORGANIZATION, LEVEL OF EDUCATION, GENDER, AGE, Conscn
d. Predictors: (Constant), Job_Bnfts, Prsnl_Bnfts, Career_Bnfts, LENGTH OF SERVICE WITH
CURRENT ORGANIZATION, LEVEL OF EDUCATION, GENDER, AGE, Conscn, PB_Interaction,
JB_Interaction, CB_Interaction
87
ANOVAe
Model Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig.
1 Regression 632.824 3 210.941 6.656 .000a
Residual 6180.111 195 31.693
Total 6812.935 198
2 Regression 735.053 7 105.008 3.300 .002b
Residual 6077.881 191 31.821
Total 6812.935 198
3 Regression 800.075 8 100.009 3.160 .002c
Residual 6012.860 190 31.647
Total 6812.935 198
4 Regression 862.443 11 78.404 2.464 .007d
Residual 5950.491 187 31.821
Total 6812.935 198
a. Predictors: (Constant), Job_Bnfts, Prsnl_Bnfts, Career_Bnfts
b. Predictors: (Constant), Job_Bnfts, Prsnl_Bnfts, Career_Bnfts, LENGTH OF SERVICE WITH
CURRENT ORGANIZATION, LEVEL OF EDUCATION, GENDER, AGE
c. Predictors: (Constant), Job_Bnfts, Prsnl_Bnfts, Career_Bnfts, LENGTH OF SERVICE WITH
CURRENT ORGANIZATION, LEVEL OF EDUCATION, GENDER, AGE, Conscn
d. Predictors: (Constant), Job_Bnfts, Prsnl_Bnfts, Career_Bnfts, LENGTH OF SERVICE WITH
CURRENT ORGANIZATION, LEVEL OF EDUCATION, GENDER, AGE, Conscn, PB_Interaction,
JB_Interaction, CB_Interaction
e. Dependent Variable: Affec_Comt
88
Coefficientsa
Model
Unstandardized Coefficients
Standardized
Coefficients
t Sig.B Std. Error Beta
1 (Constant) 27.095 2.433 11.136 .000
Prsnl_Bnfts -.015 .092 -.013 -.169 .866
Career_Bnfts .241 .069 .288 3.522 .001
Job_Bnfts .063 .084 .054 .750 .454
2 (Constant) 29.192 3.900 7.485 .000
Prsnl_Bnfts -.008 .093 -.007 -.083 .934
Career_Bnfts .244 .072 .291 3.406 .001
Job_Bnfts .070 .086 .061 .821 .412
GENDER -.983 .855 -.084 -1.150 .252
AGE .615 .690 .082 .890 .374
LEVEL OF EDUCATION -.505 .402 -.092 -1.256 .211
LENGTH OF SERVICE
WITH CURRENT
ORGANIZATION
-.184 .351 -.046 -.524 .601
3 (Constant) 33.486 4.909 6.821 .000
Prsnl_Bnfts -.011 .093 -.010 -.123 .903
Career_Bnfts .261 .072 .312 3.610 .000
Job_Bnfts .069 .085 .060 .813 .417
GENDER -1.074 .855 -.092 -1.256 .211
AGE .664 .689 .089 .962 .337
LEVEL OF EDUCATION -.424 .405 -.077 -1.048 .296
LENGTH OF SERVICE
WITH CURRENT
ORGANIZATION
-.250 .353 -.063 -.708 .480
Conscn -.105 .073 -.101 -1.433 .153
4 (Constant) 43.415 20.604 2.107 .036
89
Prsnl_Bnfts -.808 .751 -.689 -1.076 .283
Career_Bnfts .484 .634 .577 .763 .446
Job_Bnfts .457 .701 .394 .652 .515
GENDER -1.137 .862 -.097 -1.320 .189
AGE .607 .704 .081 .862 .390
LEVEL OF EDUCATION -.491 .409 -.089 -1.201 .231
LENGTH OF SERVICE
WITH CURRENT
ORGANIZATION
-.245 .361 -.061 -.678 .499
Conscn -.292 .439 -.284 -.666 .506
PB_Interaction .017 .016 .836 1.063 .289
CB_Interaction -.005 .014 -.331 -.356 .723
JB_Interaction -.008 .015 -.359 -.552 .581
a. Dependent Variable: Affec_Comt
90
SPSS output Regression 2 for Continuance Commitment:
Model Summary
Model R
R
Square
Adjusted R
Square
Std. Error of
the
Estimate
Change Statistics
R Square
Change
F
Change df1 df2
Sig. F
Change
1 .215a .046 .032 8.834 .046 3.151 3 195 .026
2 .252b .063 .029 8.845 .017 .872 4 191 .481
3 .260c .068 .028 8.848 .004 .893 1 190 .346
4 .266d .071 .016 8.903 .003 .220 3 187 .883
a. Predictors: (Constant), Job_Bnfts, Prsnl_Bnfts, Career_Bnfts
b. Predictors: (Constant), Job_Bnfts, Prsnl_Bnfts, Career_Bnfts, LENGTH OF SERVICE WITH
CURRENT ORGANIZATION, LEVEL OF EDUCATION, GENDER, AGE
c. Predictors: (Constant), Job_Bnfts, Prsnl_Bnfts, Career_Bnfts, LENGTH OF SERVICE WITH CURRENT
ORGANIZATION, LEVEL OF EDUCATION, GENDER, AGE, Conscn
d. Predictors: (Constant), Job_Bnfts, Prsnl_Bnfts, Career_Bnfts, LENGTH OF SERVICE WITH
CURRENT ORGANIZATION, LEVEL OF EDUCATION, GENDER, AGE, Conscn, PB_Interaction,
JB_Interaction, CB_Interaction
91
ANOVAe
Model Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig.
1 Regression 737.586 3 245.862 3.151 .026a
Residual 15217.107 195 78.036
Total 15954.693 198
2 Regression 1010.636 7 144.377 1.845 .081b
Residual 14944.057 191 78.241
Total 15954.693 198
3 Regression 1080.523 8 135.065 1.725 .095c
Residual 14874.171 190 78.285
Total 15954.693 198
4 Regression 1132.723 11 102.975 1.299 .228d
Residual 14821.971 187 79.262
Total 15954.693 198
a. Predictors: (Constant), Job_Bnfts, Prsnl_Bnfts, Career_Bnfts
b. Predictors: (Constant), Job_Bnfts, Prsnl_Bnfts, Career_Bnfts, LENGTH OF SERVICE WITH
CURRENT ORGANIZATION, LEVEL OF EDUCATION, GENDER, AGE
c. Predictors: (Constant), Job_Bnfts, Prsnl_Bnfts, Career_Bnfts, LENGTH OF SERVICE WITH
CURRENT ORGANIZATION, LEVEL OF EDUCATION, GENDER, AGE, Conscn
d. Predictors: (Constant), Job_Bnfts, Prsnl_Bnfts, Career_Bnfts, LENGTH OF SERVICE WITH
CURRENT ORGANIZATION, LEVEL OF EDUCATION, GENDER, AGE, Conscn, PB_Interaction,
JB_Interaction, CB_Interaction
e. Dependent Variable: Contin_Comt
92
Coefficientsa
Model
Unstandardized Coefficients
Standardized
Coefficients
t Sig.B Std. Error Beta
1 (Constant) 35.750 3.818 9.364 .000
Prsnl_Bnfts -.146 .144 -.081 -1.015 .311
Career_Bnfts .322 .108 .251 2.996 .003
Job_Bnfts -.058 .132 -.033 -.436 .663
2 (Constant) 42.007 6.116 6.869 .000
Prsnl_Bnfts -.135 .146 -.075 -.922 .358
Career_Bnfts .313 .112 .244 2.790 .006
Job_Bnfts -.057 .134 -.032 -.422 .674
GENDER -2.072 1.340 -.116 -1.546 .124
AGE .272 1.083 .024 .251 .802
LEVEL OF EDUCATION -.464 .630 -.055 -.737 .462
LENGTH OF SERVICE
WITH CURRENT
ORGANIZATION
-.563 .550 -.092 -1.024 .307
3 (Constant) 46.459 7.721 6.017 .000
Prsnl_Bnfts -.139 .146 -.077 -.947 .345
Career_Bnfts .331 .114 .258 2.910 .004
Job_Bnfts -.058 .134 -.032 -.429 .668
GENDER -2.166 1.344 -.121 -1.611 .109
AGE .322 1.084 .028 .297 .767
LEVEL OF EDUCATION -.380 .636 -.045 -.598 .551
LENGTH OF SERVICE
WITH CURRENT
ORGANIZATION
-.632 .555 -.103 -1.138 .257
Conscn -.108 .115 -.069 -.945 .346
4 (Constant) 54.256 32.518 1.668 .097
93
Prsnl_Bnfts -.611 1.185 -.341 -.516 .606
Career_Bnfts .258 1.000 .201 .258 .797
Job_Bnfts .494 1.106 .278 .447 .655
GENDER -2.202 1.360 -.123 -1.619 .107
AGE .247 1.111 .022 .222 .824
LEVEL OF EDUCATION -.447 .646 -.053 -.692 .490
LENGTH OF SERVICE
WITH CURRENT
ORGANIZATION
-.613 .570 -.100 -1.077 .283
Conscn -.258 .693 -.163 -.372 .710
PB_Interaction .010 .025 .320 .395 .693
CB_Interaction .002 .022 .067 .070 .944
JB_Interaction -.012 .024 -.336 -.501 .617
a. Dependent Variable: Contin_Comt
94
SPSS output Regression 3 for Normative Commitment:
Model Summary
Model R
R
Square
Adjusted R
Square
Std. Error of
the
Estimate
Change Statistics
R Square
Change
F
Change df1 df2
Sig. F
Change
1 .106a .011 -.004 8.344 .011 .735 3 195 .532
2 .238b .057 .022 8.235 .046 2.306 4 191 .060
3 .239c .057 .017 8.256 .000 .036 1 190 .850
4 .323d .104 .052 8.110 .047 3.302 3 187 .022
a. Predictors: (Constant), Job_Bnfts, Prsnl_Bnfts, Career_Bnfts
b. Predictors: (Constant), Job_Bnfts, Prsnl_Bnfts, Career_Bnfts, LENGTH OF SERVICE WITH
CURRENT ORGANIZATION, LEVEL OF EDUCATION, GENDER, AGE
c. Predictors: (Constant), Job_Bnfts, Prsnl_Bnfts, Career_Bnfts, LENGTH OF SERVICE WITH CURRENT
ORGANIZATION, LEVEL OF EDUCATION, GENDER, AGE, Conscn
d. Predictors: (Constant), Job_Bnfts, Prsnl_Bnfts, Career_Bnfts, LENGTH OF SERVICE WITH
CURRENT ORGANIZATION, LEVEL OF EDUCATION, GENDER, AGE, Conscn, PB_Interaction,
JB_Interaction, CB_Interaction
95
ANOVAe
Model Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig.
1 Regression 153.466 3 51.155 .735 .532a
Residual 13577.379 195 69.628
Total 13730.844 198
2 Regression 778.836 7 111.262 1.641 .126b
Residual 12952.008 191 67.812
Total 13730.844 198
3 Regression 781.285 8 97.661 1.433 .185c
Residual 12949.560 190 68.156
Total 13730.844 198
4 Regression 1432.788 11 130.253 1.981 .032d
Residual 12298.056 187 65.765
Total 13730.844 198
a. Predictors: (Constant), Job_Bnfts, Prsnl_Bnfts, Career_Bnfts
b. Predictors: (Constant), Job_Bnfts, Prsnl_Bnfts, Career_Bnfts, LENGTH OF SERVICE WITH
CURRENT ORGANIZATION, LEVEL OF EDUCATION, GENDER, AGE
c. Predictors: (Constant), Job_Bnfts, Prsnl_Bnfts, Career_Bnfts, LENGTH OF SERVICE WITH
CURRENT ORGANIZATION, LEVEL OF EDUCATION, GENDER, AGE, Conscn
d. Predictors: (Constant), Job_Bnfts, Prsnl_Bnfts, Career_Bnfts, LENGTH OF SERVICE WITH
CURRENT ORGANIZATION, LEVEL OF EDUCATION, GENDER, AGE, Conscn, PB_Interaction,
JB_Interaction, CB_Interaction
e. Dependent Variable: Normtv_Comt
96
Coefficientsa
Model
Unstandardized Coefficients
Standardized
Coefficients
t Sig.B Std. Error Beta
1 (Constant) 25.193 3.606 6.986 .000
Prsnl_Bnfts -.117 .136 -.070 -.864 .389
Career_Bnfts .104 .102 .087 1.023 .308
Job_Bnfts .087 .125 .053 .694 .488
2 (Constant) 26.314 5.694 4.622 .000
Prsnl_Bnfts -.064 .136 -.038 -.470 .639
Career_Bnfts .117 .104 .098 1.121 .264
Job_Bnfts .078 .125 .047 .623 .534
GENDER -2.766 1.248 -.166 -2.217 .028
AGE 1.681 1.008 .158 1.668 .097
LEVEL OF EDUCATION -.441 .586 -.056 -.752 .453
LENGTH OF SERVICE
WITH CURRENT
ORGANIZATION
-.401 .512 -.071 -.783 .434
3 (Constant) 25.481 7.204 3.537 .001
Prsnl_Bnfts -.063 .137 -.038 -.463 .644
Career_Bnfts .114 .106 .095 1.069 .286
Job_Bnfts .078 .125 .047 .623 .534
GENDER -2.748 1.254 -.165 -2.191 .030
AGE 1.672 1.012 .157 1.652 .100
LEVEL OF EDUCATION -.457 .594 -.058 -.769 .443
LENGTH OF SERVICE
WITH CURRENT
ORGANIZATION
-.388 .518 -.069 -.750 .454
Conscn .020 .107 .014 .190 .850
4 (Constant) -27.588 29.621 -.931 .353
97
Prsnl_Bnfts -1.076 1.079 -.646 -.997 .320
Career_Bnfts 2.699 .911 2.268 2.962 .003
Job_Bnfts .133 1.007 .080 .132 .895
GENDER -2.676 1.239 -.161 -2.160 .032
AGE 1.469 1.012 .138 1.452 .148
LEVEL OF EDUCATION -.469 .588 -.060 -.797 .426
LENGTH OF SERVICE
WITH CURRENT
ORGANIZATION
-.268 .519 -.047 -.516 .607
Conscn 1.224 .631 .836 1.940 .054
PB_Interaction .023 .023 .799 1.003 .317
CB_Interaction -.059 .020 -2.709 -2.876 .004
JB_Interaction .000 .022 -.028 -.042 .967
a. Dependent Variable: Normtv_Comt