The integrative structure of employee commitment: The influential relations of individuals' characteristics in a supportive learning culture

Abstract

Purpose

This research primarily aims to explore the influences of the individuals' perceptional characteristics and cultural aspects of the learning organization on organizational commitment in Korean organizational settings.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach takes the form of examining the integrative determinants of performance improvement, designed as a research framework, which conceptually shows the relations among the environmental variable – supportive learning culture, individuals' characteristics – interpersonal trust, collectivistic tendency and motivation to collaborate, and organizational commitment. The samples were collected from Korean profit organizations. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess the construct validity of the hypothesized measures, and structural equation modeling was adapted to examine the sequential effects among the variables.

Findings

The results suggest that interpersonal trust and collectivistic tendency have significant impacts on the employees' motivation to collaborate; in turn, through the organizational supportive learning culture, they have positively significant impacts on the employees' organizational commitment. Furthermore, supportive learning culture plays a mediating role to enhance the effect of the individuals' perceptional variables to organizational commitment.

Research limitations/implications

In order to more accurately measure human behavioral, longitudinally quantitative and in‐depth qualitative approaches are recommended for future research. The conceptual research framework was developed based on theoretical assumptions. Therefore alternative frameworks possibly could be considered.

Originality/value

The research presents evidence that the learning culture could lead to management‐related beyond simply learning‐related outcomes. In this regard, the supportive learning organization culture could be assumed as the overall aspect of organizational culture promoting positive non‐learning outcomes in the workplace.

Citation

Hoon Song, J. and Min Kim, H. (2009), "The integrative structure of employee commitment: The influential relations of individuals' characteristics in a supportive learning culture", Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 30 No. 3, pp. 240-255. https://doi.org/10.1108/01437730910949526