International Journal of Educational and Psychological Researches

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Year
: 2015  |  Volume : 1  |  Issue : 4  |  Page : 241--245

The relationship between career anchors and organizational commitment


Kamal Naghipour1, Hasan Galavandi2,  
1 Department of Educational Science, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz Branch, Tabriz, Iran
2 Department of Educational Administration Sciences, University of Uremia, Uremia, Iran

Correspondence Address:
Dr. Hasan Galavandi
Department of Educational Administration Sciences, University of Uremia, Uremia
Iran

Abstract

Aim: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between career anchors and organizational commitment among Urmia University faculty members. Methods: The empirical analysis is based on a sample of 70 faculty members of Urmia University. The data for this study were gathered through two standard questionnaires of career anchors according to Schein model and of organizational commitment according to Meyer and Allen model. Result: Findings from this study indicate that there is a positive significant relationship between career anchor components and organizational commitment components and also technical, functional competence, general managerial competence, autonomy-independence, pure challenge, and life style are significant predictors of organizational commitment. Conclusions: It is obvious from the findings that there is a positive significant relationship between career anchors and organizational commitment. Thus, each organization should pay much more attention to career anchors and organizational commitment.



How to cite this article:
Naghipour K, Galavandi H. The relationship between career anchors and organizational commitment.Int J Educ Psychol Res 2015;1:241-245


How to cite this URL:
Naghipour K, Galavandi H. The relationship between career anchors and organizational commitment. Int J Educ Psychol Res [serial online] 2015 [cited 2024 Mar 28 ];1:241-245
Available from: https://www.ijeprjournal.org/text.asp?2015/1/4/241/163938


Full Text

 Introduction



In modern world empowerment, economic power and welfare of every largely depend on optimal using of opportunities, industries and especially human forces, quality and skilled human resource appears to have a vital role in the development and progress of a country. Although labor, capital, and land were main factors of production in the past; today technological changes, human forces and increasing productivity have been important factors in development and expansion.[1],[2] It is obvious that higher educating offer opportunities for human growth throughout the world. The importance of universities as a key part of the educational system is the recognition that there are large and diverse sets of public and private educational institutions which affect workforce and therefore the development of every country.[3],[4] Lick[5] suggested that the university should constantly and effectively reconstruct itself in response to environmental necessities to ensure its effectiveness and survival. Specifically, faculty members should have received much more attention since they have a momentous duty of breeding the future workforce.[6] At the core of the career anchor theory, which was developed by Edgar Schein,[7] is the concept that career anchor widely applied to all levels of employees. The most current implication of career anchor implies career development. In some cases, career anchor refers to a job or career which requires a high level of training and education. In other cases, the term career anchor denotes a long term commitment to broad psychological investment in a career or organization.[6],[8] Individuals whose career development path permits the integration of personal needs, organization needs, and the requirements of the job are more committed to the organization.[9] Organizational commitment defines as a psychic attachment to the organization. Organizational commitment manifest in three understanding: (1) Having faith in organization and accepting its goals and values (2) being inclined to strive for organization (3) wishing for remaining as a member of on organization.[10]

Literature review

The research into career anchors and its relation with organizational commitment has been subject to limited investigation in Iran and other countries. The aim of this article was to report on an investigation into career anchors and its relation with organizational commitment in Iran. In a study conducted by Hoontan and ChooQuek, the authors found a positive and significant relationship between career anchors include technical/functional, autonomy/independence, entrepreneurial creativity, life style, security/stability, pure challenge, general managerial competent, employees, and external satisfaction.[11] In another study, Danziger and Valency found that there was a significant difference between career anchors of salaried and self-employment individuals, and they suggested that there was a significant relationship between individuals career anchors and job satisfaction.[12] The results proved that there is a positive significant relationship between individuals' career anchors is as likely to be a result of self-perception, values, and occupational motivation.[13] The investigation into career anchors and job signification indicated a positive significant relationship between them.[14] In a study of career anchors and organizational commitment, Rebecca[15] found that there is a positive significant relationship between them. Zaker Fard and Nuri investigated the relationship between career anchors, career vision, and organizational commitment. They found that there was a positive significant relationship between them.[16] In a study, of female and male employees occupying in research and development units of industrial firms, Samani et al. found that there was a positive significant relationship between career anchors, career authority, and organizational commitment.[9] BaharFard and Javaheri in a study of university employees found that there is a positive significant relationship between organizational justice and organizational commitment (affective, normative, and continuance commitment).[17] An empirical study investigating career anchors and its behavioral consequences such as organizational commitment is necessary. However, this issue appears to be more important when the investigation into career anchors and organizational commitment hold within faculty members.

 Methods



Practical implications

Career anchors are based on this logic that relation between individuals' career orientations and workplace leads to job satisfaction, high commitment, and performance while the lack of relation leads to dissatisfaction and turnover.

Originality, value

This paper presents original estimates of the relationship between career anchors and organizational commitment with a sample of faculty members.

For the purpose of this study, our population consisted of 346 factually members of Urmia University. The sample size consisted of 70 factually members. Cokran formula was used to determine the sample size.

The data for this study were gathered through two standard questionnaires as outlined below:

Career anchor questionnaire: This questionnaire was based on Schein[7] career anchorOrganizational commitment questionnaire: This questionnaire was based on Meyer and Allen's organizational commitment model.[18]

 Results



Analysis of the gathered data shows that:

There is a relationship between career anchors and all aspects of organizational commitment aspects In [Table 1], F coefficients show that there is a significant relationship between technical competence and all aspects of organizational commitment (P = 0.02), and cooperation rate is %9. Furthermore, there is a significant relationship between general managerial competence and all aspects of organizational commitment (P < 0.001), and cooperation rate is %13; thus, the hypothesis has proved. There is not a significant relationship between autonomy – independence, security – stability, entrepreneurial creativity, service – dedication to a cause, pure challenge, and life style with all aspects of organizational commitment and hypothesis has not provedThere is a relationship between organizational commitment aspects and career anchors. In [Table 2], F coefficients reveal that there is a significant relationship between organizational commitment aspects (affective, continuance, normative commitment) and career anchors (P < 0.01); thus, hypothesis two has proved in three cases. Cooperation rate between organizational commitment aspects and career anchors is %16, and statistical power %97 represents that the sample size was adequate. Cooperation rate between continuance commitment aspects and career anchors is %18, and statistical power %95 represents that the sample size was adequateThere is a relationship between career anchors and affective commitment. [Table 3] represents that there is a significant relationship between career anchors and affective commitment (F = 3.59 and P = 0.001). Thus, hypothesis three has proved but there is a significant relationship between technical – functional (P = 0.02), general managerial competence (P = 0.01), life style (P = 0.01), and affective commitmentThere is a relationship between career anchors and continuance commitment. [Table 4] represents that there is a significant relationship between career anchors and continuance commitment (F = 4.19 and P = 0.0001). Thus, hypothesis four has proved but there is significant predictor relationship between technical/functional competence (P = 0.004), general managerial competence (P = 0.001), autonomy – independence (P = 0.04), pure challenge (P = 0.04), and continuance commitmentThere is a relationship between career anchors and normative commitment. [Table 5] represents that there is a significant relationship between career anchors and normative commitment (F = 3.70 and P = 0.001). Thus, hypothesis five has proved but there is a significant predictor relationship between technical, functional competence (P = 0.01), general managerial competence (P = 0.001), and normative commitment.{Table 1}{Table 2}{Table 3}{Table 4}{Table 5}

 Discussion



It is obvious from the findings that there is a positive significant relationship between career anchors and organizational commitment. Thus, each organization should pay much more attention to career anchors and organizational commitment.

Thus, each organization should pay much more attention to career anchors, especially when organization needs to assess the strengths and weaknesses of its human forces career anchor is a pattern of self-perceived talents, motives, and values that serve to guide, constrain, stabilize, and integrate individual careers.

Although it could be argued that the difference in career anchors is a predicator of the likelihood of career advancement. Improving our understanding of these nonmonetary motivators for careers is likely to be essential in determining effective approaches to career development in the future. Career anchors emerged as a way of explaining the pattern of reasons of why individuals progressed through their careers.

They serve to explain how and why an individual interacts with the organization career anchors effect work and career satisfaction and career orientations provide a way of understanding these motivators of career decisions.

Analyzing the individual career anchors help the organization to redesign the careers in response to individuals needs and also outline the career changes. In recent years, researchers have studied the relationship between career anchors and behavioral consequences such as organizational commitment.

In this study, suggests that there is a positive significant relationship between career anchors and organizational commitment. Satisfied staff is a crucial factor in every organization, not only leads to enhance performance and decrease absence rate, delay and job left but also permits the integration of personal needs. Organization needs and the requirement of the job. Instead dissatisfied staff not only would not consider the organization needs but by creating an inattentive cultures toward organization's issues and problems may weaken other staff morale and eventually may delay or hinder the organization prosperity. The gathered data were analyzed according to hypotheses.

[Table 1] presents the relationship between career anchors and all aspects of organizational commitment. It indicates that there is a positive significant relationship between technical functional competence, general managerial competence, and all aspects of organizational commitment, but there is not a significant relationship between autonomy – independence, security – stability, entrepreneurial creativity, service – dedication to a cause, pure challenge, and life style the finding of this hypothesis supports other studies.[9],[15],[16]

[Table 2] presents the relationship between organizational commitment aspects and career anchors. It indicates that there is a positive significant relationship between organizational commitment aspects (affective, continuance, normative) and career anchors. The findings of this hypothesis support the research results.[9]

[Table 3] presents the relationship between career anchors and effective commitment. It reveals that there is a positive significant relationship between career anchors and affective commitment (Fs 3.9, Ps 0.0001).

Among career anchors technical – functional competence (ps 0.02), general managerial competence (ps 0.01), and life style (ps 0.01) have a significant predictor relationship with affective commitment. The findings of this hypothesis support the research results.[9]

[Table 4] presents the relationship between career anchors and continuance commitment. The finding suggested that there is a positive significant relationship between career anchors and continuance commitment (fs 4.19, ps 0.0001) among career anchors technical – functional.

Competence (ps 0.004), general managerial competence (Ps 0.001), autonomy – independence (P = 0.04), and pure challenge (P = 0.04) have a significant predictor relationship with continuance commitment. Findings of this hypothesis support the research results.[9]

[Table 5] presents the relationship between career anchors and normative commitment. The results suggested that there is a positive significant relationship between career anchors and normative commitment (fs 3.70, P = 0.001). Among career anchors only technical – functional competence (P = 0.01) and general managerial competence (P = 0.001) have a significant predictor relationship with normative commitment. Findings of this hypothesis support the research results[10] indicate that this study faculty members showed a greater likelihood of having a technical – functional, general managerial competence, autonomy – independence, and pure challenge anchors. Researches believe that if individuals with technical – functional anchors have an opportunity to apply their technical skills, also those with general managerial anchors being responsible for the output of a particular unit of the organization, and individuals with pure challenge anchor have the opportunity to work on solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems, they will be more Satisfied and have higher level of organizational commitment. Hence, organization can achieve its goals.

Financial support and sponsorship

Nil.

Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts of interest.

References

1Sardari A. Job satisfaction in organization. Sci Res J Shahed Univ 2002;39:67-88.
2Kamali SM. Foundation of Human Resource Management. Tehran: Yastaroon Publications; 2004.
3Ashwin P. Changing higher education. London:First Published, Routledge, Taylor do Francisco Group; 2006.
4Romphel G. Constructing Knowledge Societies: New Challenges for Tertiary Education. Translators: Marzieh M, Mostafa E. London: Esfahan University Publication; 2006.
5Lick DW. Leadership and change. In: Field Guide to Academic Leadership. San Francisco: Josses Bass; 2002.
6Galavandi H. Determination of Relationship between Quality of Work Life and Career Anchors with Organizational Performance Perspective of Faculty Members in Tabriz, Urmia and Ardabil Universities, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Isfahen; 2010.
7Schein EH. Career anchors revisited implications for career development in the 21st century. Acad Manage Exec 1996;10:80-8.
8Abbaspour A. Advanced Human Resource Management (Approaches, Process and Functions). Tehran: Samat Publication; 2008.
9Samani HR, Zakerfard M, Nuri A. The relationship of career with job power and organizational commitment: A case study of male and female personal of research and development units of industrial companies. Womans Stud Sociol Psychol 2009;7:69-93.
10Ghafouri MR, Golparvar M. A survey of relationship between organization justice with organizational commitment among staff of Isfahan municipality. Psychol Stud 2010;5:129-48.
11Tan HH, Quek BC. An exploratory study on the career anchors of educators in Singapore. J Psychol 2001;135:527-45.
12Danziger N, Valancy R. Career anchors distribution and impact on job satisfaction, the Engeland case. Career Dev Int 2005;11:293-303.
13Quesenberry JL. Career Anchors and Organizational Culture: A Study of Woman in the IT Workforce Sigmis Cporb Proceeding of the ACM Sigmis Cpr Conferences; 2006. p. 342-4.
14Bester GL, Mouton T. Differences regarding job satisfaction and job involvement of psychologists with different dominant career anchors. J Manag Dev 2006;29:50-5.
15Rebecca T. The Relationship between Career Anchors and Organizational Commitment, M.A. Dissertation, University of South Africa; 2007.
16Fard MS, Nuri AG. Relation between career and Organizational commitment, The First Crenation Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Isfahan: University of Isfahan ; 2008.
17BaharFard A, Javaheri M. The study of organization ethical values consequences (The study of organization equality, organization commitment and organization citizenship behavior). Bimanthly Police Hum Dev 2010;7:25-118.
18Meyer JP, Allen NJ. A three-component conceptualization of otganization of organizational commitment. Hum Resour Manage Rev 1990;1:61-89.