Organizational commitment and intentions to quit: An examination of the moderating effects of psychological contract breach in Trinidad and Tobago

Abstract

Purpose

The study, conducted in Trinidad and Tobago, seeks to investigate the relationships among perceived organizational support, psychological contract, and affective organizational commitment. In addition, the study aims to test the moderating effect of psychological contract breach in the relationship between affective commitment and turnover intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

The research was a cross‐sectional study of employees in media organizations in Trinidad and Tobago.

Findings

Perceived organizational support led to affective commitment and the latter, in turn, led to lowered turnover intentions. However, employees with higher levels of affective commitment who perceived a psychological contract breach were more likely to think about quitting their jobs. There was no significant relationship between employees' psychological contract and their affective commitment.

Research limitations/implications

The study's findings are generalizable to other print media organizations and perhaps to similar businesses in the Caribbean region. Future research should examine the antecedents and consequences of organizational commitment in other parts of the Caribbean and in non‐Western settings. This will serve to determine the cross‐national applicability and generalizability of results found in studies conducted elsewhere.

Practical implications

The study suggested that to avoid psychological contract breach and retain employees who identify with their values and goals, organizations ought to provide feedback, support career development, and engage in participative decision‐making.

Originality/value

This study contributes to theory and research in organizational commitment in two main ways. Firstly, this is one of the few studies to examine the phenomenon in the Caribbean. Secondly, the findings of this study lend support to similar studies that have been conducted mainly in North America.

Citation

Addae, H.M., Praveen Parboteeah, K. and Davis, E.E. (2006), "Organizational commitment and intentions to quit: An examination of the moderating effects of psychological contract breach in Trinidad and Tobago", International Journal of Organizational Analysis, Vol. 14 No. 3, pp. 225-238. https://doi.org/10.1108/19348830610823419