Commitment and organizational entrenchment: exploring the relationships between constructs.

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the relationships between the bases of the constructs Organizational Commitment and Organizational Entrenchment. For this, we carried out a survey of a quantitative character with 392 servers administrative staff of a Federal University, to which a questionnaire containing validated scales for the Brazilian context was applied. Data were analyzed using correlation analysis to verify the relationship between the constitutive dimensions of the two constructs. The main results showed a moderate correlation of instrumental and normative bases of commitment revealing the ambiguity surrounding the definition of these bases proposed by Meyer and Allen (1991) model. The bases instrumental and affective showed low correlation reinforcing the idea that it should not be treated as two dimensions of the same construct. Moreover, affective commitment was not correlated with the entrenchment, showing that they are separate bond. These results support the proposal that the commitment must be treated as a unidimensional construct (restricted to affective base), while the instrumental or continuing base shall be considered a separate construct called organizational entrenchment.