A Structural Model of Work Group Commitment and Its Determinants: A Case of the Employees of a Department Store

This study examined the hypothesis that job environmental characteristics would be indirectly related to group commitment by means of three expectancies (intrinsic, interpersonal, and economic). A structural model was developed on this hypothesis and tested by using covariance structure analysis with data obtained from 143 employees of a department store. The results indicated that job variety, group cohesiveness, and performance appraisal were indirectly related to group commitment by means of expectancies, but job autonomy, role clarity, and leadership were not related to either group commitment or expectancies. Moreover, performance appraisal had both a indirect positive relationship by means of economic expectancy and a direct negative relationship to group commitment. Limitations of the study are discussed.