To What Extent Does Organizational Culture Affect Employee Commitment? An Explorative Study in Italian Companies

Abstract

One of the greatest assets companies have, in order to be successful in today’s economy, is "human capital", and with that also comes the challenge to retain employees within the company itself. For this reason, it is very important to consider "organizational culture" and "employees’ commitment". The aim of this research is to analyze the relationship between these two crucial aspects, with a specific focus on the Italian context. Starting from the review of the extant literature and models, this relationship has been further investigated with the support of statistical analysis to empirically assess which organizational model is more related to a higher level of employees’ commitment. Based on data collected through questionnaires and interviews, the results of the empirical analyses show how the "clan organizational culture style" can generate a higher level of commitment among employees, with employees expressing their commitment in the form of "affectionate commitment". Furthermore, commitment has been found to be related to employees’ age and the size of the firm where respondents work, and not to the nature of the work itself. Moreover, the findings revealed the relevance of "organizational culture" in forming "employees’ commitment". Indeed, firms wanting to increase their employees’ commitment have to create a challenging, fair, and pleasant work environment in which commitment can grow. Additionally, our findings may suggest future studies to focus on the relationship between employees’ commitment and job opportunities, and on the motivations that guide workers' choice between different job opportunities.