Do Dispositional Peculiarities Matter? An interplay of traits and organizational commitment among healthcare professionals

Abstract

Background: Organizational commitment has endured heightened interest from behavioral scientists and practicing managers owing to its linkages with positive workplace behaviors and outcomes. Therefore, identifying factors that can facilitate organizations to have committed workforce is essential. Extant literature has identified several such factors; however dispositional antecedents of this attitude have remained under-represented.

Objective: Given the fact that many scholars have lately called for examining its dispositional antecedents, the current study has analyzed the impact of agreeableness, conscientiousness and extraversion on organizational commitment and its two dimensions- affective and normative, among hospital employees in a non-western context.

Methods: Using systematic sampling technique, 379 health professionals working across northern India were selected. PLS-SEM was used to assess the study’s model and hypotheses.

Results: The results indicate that extraversion did not significantly influence overall organizational commitment among hospital employees. A similar outcome was found for normative commitment, while extraversion significantly impacted affective commitment. Additionally, agreeableness showed a significant positive effect on overall organizational commitment and both its dimensions. Likewise, conscientiousness was found to significantly influence overall commitment and its components.

Conclusions: The findings highlight the varying roles of personality traits in shaping employees’ commitment within hospital settings. Hence, the present study suggests the hospital authorities to give due consideration to traits particularly agreeableness and conscientiousness, while hiring, training and retaining employees. Aligning human resource  practices with these psychological elements are more likely to create a base of highly committed healthcare employees.