Values, values congruence and organisational commitment

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between personal values, perceived organisational values and organisational commiunent. The study builds on the work of Finegan (2000). It is argued that the greater the congruence between a person's personal values and the perceived organisational values of the employing organisation, the greater would be their commitment to that organization. This study examines this issue in a school context, examining the teachers' values and their perceptions of their schools' values. As part of the study a survey was administered to a sample of teachers at eight schools that represented the three main streams within the Australian education system; namely Government schools, independent Christian schools and Catholic schools. In this case, personal values and perceived organisational values were measured using Schwartz's (1991) Values Scale and their congruence was calculated using Savery's (Savery, 1993. 1983, 1981) approach. Commitment was measured using Meyer and Allen's (1990) Organisational Commitment Scale. Perceived organisational support and professional commitment were also measured through Eisenberg's (1986) and Blau's (1985b) scales. The study suggests that teachers' backgrounds have little impact on commitment. It further suggests that personal values have only a minimal effect on continuance conunitrnent, although they have a stronger relationship with affective commitment. While congruence between the two types of values do impact on affective commitment, teachers' perceptions of their organisations' values (irrespective of their own values) are stronger predictors of commitment. Personal values are also shown to affect professional commitment. Although the major focus of the study is to explore the relationship between values congruence and organisational commitment, the results suggest that the most significant predictors of affective organisational commitment are perceived organisational support and teachers' perceptions of organisational values.