Chapter 3Values, Attitudes, and Their Effects in the Workplace 89Arnold Carbone (centre) receives
a high level of job satisfaction and
has a positive attitude about his
job. Carbone, as “Conductor of
Bizarre and D” at Ben & Jerry’s,
travels the world and eats as
many desserts as he can in his job
as developer of new ice-cream
flavours for Ben & Jerry’s.
Carbone created flavours such as
Phish Food and Wavy Gravy.People in highly paid jobs and union members with good benefits may exhibit con-
tinuance commitment because of the rewards received from the job, rather than their
preference for the job itself.^87
The notion of organizational commitment has changed in recent years. Twenty
years ago, employees and employers had an unwritten loyalty contract, with employ-
ees typically remaining with a single organization for most of their careers. This notion
has become increasingly obsolete. As such, “measures of employee-firm attachment, such
as commitment, are problematic for new employment relations.”^88 Canadian busi-
ness consultant Barbara Moses notes that “40-somethings still value loyalty: they think
people should be prepared to make sacrifices, to earn their way. The 20-somethings
are saying, ‘No, I want to be paid for my work; I have no belief in the goodness of
organizations, so I’m going to be here as long as my work is meaningful.’”^89
How can companies increase organizational commitment? Research on a number
of companies known for employees with high organizational commitment identified
five reasons why employees commit themselves:^90
- They are proud of [the company’s] aspirations, accomplishments, and legacy;
they share its values. - They know what each person is expected to do, how performance is meas-
ured, and why it matters. - They are in control of their own destinies; they savour the high-risk, high-
reward work environment. - They are recognized mostly for the quality of their individual performance.
- They have fun and enjoy the supportive and highly interactive environment.
These findings suggest a variety of ways for organizations to increase the commitment
of employees. Additionally, a recent study conducted in five countries suggests that an
individual’s organizational commitment is strongly associated with whether the employee
finds the work interesting.^91 Earlier in the chapter we discussed the role of satisfaction
on organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB). We should also note that when individ-
uals have high organizational commitment, they are likely to engage in more OCB.