THE LINKAGES WITH THE ORGANIZATION: The role of context in the dynamics of commitment and entrenchment

Abstract

Despite the large volume of studies on organizational commitment in the past fifty years, there are still conceptual problems and gaps in the comprehension of the context and development dynamics. The prevalence of extensive cross-sectional studies benefit complex analysis models, but diminishes the possibilities of reaching the whole complexity of the phenomenon. The general objective of this proposal is to analyze how the internal and external contexts of a company influence the dynamics of organizational commitment and entrenchment. Three subprojects will be conducted for this purpose: Subproject I is cross-cultural and intends to evaluate the possible impacts of the external context on the employees' bonds in Brazilian and American organizations. Subproject II is longitudinal with 250 new workers of a public organization. We expect to understand how the development of bonds and the person-enviroment fit in the workplace of new employees occur, as well as their consequences, in particular the development of proactive behavior in the workplace. Subproject III is an intensive study based on grounded theory. It aims to explore organizations with remote structure, context in which the organizational structure and the external community interpose to each other. It intends to contribute to a theoretical model of the commitment and entrenchment dynamics with the organization as it includes the role of the community and other contextual variables. We expect this project to become the beginning of a new trend of studies that also consider the external context to comprehend the work bonds, using mixed approaches and alternative methods to the tradition of extensive and cross sectional studies. Furthermore, measures elaborated in Brazil will be validated to the American context. It will enable comparability of results and better internationalization of Brazilian studies in this field. (AU)