Comments: The 15-item Organizational Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ) measures organizational commitment, which is defined as “the relative strength of an individual’s identification with and involvement in a particular organization.” Commitment-related behaviors fall into three categories: belief and acceptance of organizational goals and values; willingness to exert effort for the organization; and a desire to continue membership in the organization. A nine-item OCQ is also available.
Sample: The original sample of the OCQ consisted of 2,563 workers from the following nine work organizations: public employees (569), classified university employees (243), hospital employees (382), bank employees (411), telephone company employees (605), scientists and engineers (119), auto company managers (115), psychiatric technicians (60), and retail management trainees (212).
Reliability: The alpha coefficients ranged from 0.82 to 0.93 for psychiatric technicians; 0.84 for scientists and engineers;
0.88 for hospital employees (short form) and bank employees; and 0.90 for public employees, classified university employees (short form), telephone company employees, and auto company managers. The median alpha is 0.90. Test- retest reliabilities for psychiatric technicians over a two-month interval was 0.53; over a three-month interval was 0.63; and over a four-month interval was 0.75.
Validity: Factor analyses conducted on six samples yielded a single factor. Convergent validity was established by correlating the Sources of Organizational Attachment Questionnaire with the OCQ. Convergent validities ranged from 0.63 to 0.74. Discriminate validity was established by comparing the OCQ to one measure of job involvement, one measure of career satisfaction, and one measure of job satisfaction. Predictive validity was established by examining the relationship between performance and organizational commitment. Evidence is provided to support all three validity claims.
Factor Analysis: Factor analyses (varimax rotation) were conducted on the six samples. Each analysis yielded a one- factor solution.
Data Analysis: Means, standard deviations, item analyses correlations, and norms are reported.
References
Berck, C. J. (2010). The relationship between perceived leadership practices and employee commitment in one Michigan public school district. EdD dissertation, Northcentral University.
Douglas, S. M. (2010). Organizational climate and teacher commitment. EdD dissertation, University of Alabama.
Durbin, K. M. (2011). Mentoring to reduce employee turnover among mental health practitioners: A descriptive study. PhD dissertation, Capella University.
Porter, L. W., et al. (1976). Organizational commitment and managerial turnover: A longitudinal study. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance 15:87–98.
Stevenson, L. J. (2004). An empirical study comparing the psychological factors that describe agency and stewardship theories in principal-steward relationships. PhD dissertation, Regent University.
Organizational Commitment Questionnaire
- 1. I am willing to put a great deal of effort beyond that normally expected in order to help this organization be successful.
- 2. I talk up this organization to my friends as a great organization to work for.
- 3. I feel very little loyalty to this organization.
- 4. I would accept almost any type of job assignment in order to keep working for this organization.
- 5. I find that my values and the organization’s values are very similar.
- 6. I am proud to tell others that I am part of this organization.
- 7. I could just as well be working for a different organization as long as the type of work was similar.
- 8. This organization really inspires the very best in me in the way of job performance.
- 9. It would take very little change in my present circumstances to cause me to leave this organization.
- 10. I am extremely glad that I chose this organization to work for over others I was considering at the time I joined.
- 11. There’s not too much to be gained by sticking with this organization indefinitely.
- 12. Often, I find it difficult to agree with this organization’s policies on important matters relating to its employees.
- 13. I really care about the fate of this organization.
- 14. For me this is the best of all possible organizations for which to work.
- 15. Deciding to work for this organization was a definite mistake on my part.
Scoring: Strongly Disagree = 1; Moderately Disagree = 2; Slightly Disagree = 3; Neither Disagree nor Agree = 4; Slightly Agree = 5; Moderately Agree = 6; and Strongly Agree = 7. The scoring is reversed for items 3, 7, 9, 11, 12, and 15 Responses are added and divided by 15 to reach an overall