Perceptions of Work Environment in Ethiopian Higher Learning Institutions: A Search for Antecedents of Organizational Commitment and Turnover among Debub University Instructors
Abstract
The aim of this study is to examine the level of instructors‟ fairness perceptions in the workplace i.e. the quality of leader-subordinate relationship, procedural and distributive justices of the existing organizational practice. In addition, it uncovers the extent to which the work environment within the university is instrumental in boosting organizational commitment and increases the likelihood of staying in the system. The sample included 103 instructors (93 males and 10 females) representing different levels of qualification and academic rank. Data were obtained using self-report measures. The instruments were developed and partly adapted. The major variables include workplace variables (i.e. Instructors fairness perception of distributive and procedural justice, and leaders‟ behavior [Leader-Member – Exchange (LMX)], affective organizational commitment, overall job satisfaction, and intent or non-intent to quit. To examine the role of the major variables of interest, descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate statistics are used. The results indicate that work environment variables have significantly predicted instructors‟ commitment to their university and intent to stay or leave. Implications of the findings in terms of bolstering the quality of university teaching in Ethiopia are discussed.
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References
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Batmann, R., and Stresser, S.A. (1984). A longitudinal Analysis of the Antecedents of Organizational Commitment. Academy and Management Journal, 77, 95-112.
Chang, E. (1999). Career Commitment as Complex Moderator of Organizational Commitment and Turnover Intention. Human Relations. 52, 1257-1278.
Cohen, A. (1999). Turnover Among Professionals: A longitudinal Study of American Lawyers. Human Resource Management, 38(1), 61-75. Conley, S. and Muncey, D.E. (1999). Organizational Climate and Teacher Professionalism: Identifying Teacher Work Environment Dimensions. In J.H. Freiberg (Ed.) School Climate: Measuring, Improving and Sustaining Healthy Learning Environments, 1999, Flamer Press, London.
Darling-Hammond, L. and Sclan, L.M. (1996). Who Teaches and Why? Dilemmas of Building a Profession for Twenty-century Schools. In: J. Sikula (Ed.), Handbook of Research in Teacher Education, pp. 67-101, 1993. Simons Schuster, Macmillan, N.Y., USA.
Darge Wole (2002). The Pre-dominance of Different Sources of Stress among Teachers in Government Senior High Schools of Addis Ababa. The Ethiopian Journal of Education, 22(`1), 1-32.
Debub University (2003). Ten-Years Strategic Plan, Draft Document, September 2003, Awassa, Ethiopia.
Dejene Aredo (2000). The Brain-drain from Ethiopia. Ethiopian Development Forum, 1(3), 1-19. Firestone, W.A. and Pennell, J.R. (1993). Teacher Commitment, Working Conditions and Differential Incentive Policies. Review of Educational Research, 63(4), 489-525. Hannam, R. and Jimmieson, N. (2002). The Relationship between Extra-role Behaviors and Job-burnout for Primary School Teachers: A Preliminary Model and Development of an Organizational Citizenship Behavior Scale. http:// www. Aare.edu.au/02pap/han02173.htm.
Huselid, M. and Day, N. (1991). Organizational Commitment, Job Involvement, and Turnover: A Substantive and Methodological Analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 76, 380-391.
Jaros, S.; Jermier, J.; Koehler, J. and Sinicich, T. (1993). Effects of Continuance, Affective and Moral Commitment on the Withdrawal Process: An Evaluation of Eight Structural Equation Models. Academy of Management Journals, 36, 951-995.
Luthanos, F; Baack, D and Tayler, L. (1987). Organizational Commitment: Analysis of Antecedents. Human Relations, 40(4), 219-235.
Mathieu, J., and Zajac, D. (1990). A Review and Meta-Analysis of the Antecedents, Correlates, and Consequences of Organizational Commitment. American Sociological Review. 33, 499-517.
McShane, S. L. and Von Glinow, M.A. (2000). Organizational Behavior. MaGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Menna, O. and Tesfaye, S. (2000). Determinants of decision to Leave or Stay in the Teaching Profession. The Ethiopian Journal of Education, 20(`1), 1-23 Meyer, J and Allen, N. (1990). The Measurement of Antecedents of Affective, Continuance, and Normative Commitment to the Organization. Journal of Occupational Psychology. 63. Meyer, J and Allen, N. (1991). A Three-Component Model of Organizational Commitment. Human Resource Development Review, 1(1), 61-89. Meyer, J.P.; Allen, N.J. and Smith, C.A. (1993). Commitment to Organizations and Occupations: Extensions and Test of a Three-component Conceptualization. Journal of Applied Psychology, 78(4), 538-551.
Moonman, R.H. (1991). Relationships between Organizational Justice and Organizational Citizenship Behaviors. Do Fairness Perceptions Influence Employee Citizenship? Journal of Applied Psychology, 76, 845-855.
Nagy, M.S. (2002). Using a Single-item Approach to Measure Facet Jib Satisfaction. Journal of Occupational Psychology, 75, 77-86.
Posdakoff, P., Mackenzie, S., Paine, B. and Bacharch, D, (2000). Organizational Citizenship Behavior: A Critical Review of Theoretical and Empirical Literature and suggestions for future research. Journal of Management, 26(3), 513-563.
Seyoum Teferra (1992). Brain Drain among Academicians in two Higher Learning Institutions in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian Journal of Education, XIII,2, 20-30.
Seyoum Teferra (2000). The Causes and Magnitude of Brain-drain in Higher Education Institutions with a Particular Reference to AAU: Go West, Young Man (GO). Ethiopian Development Forum, 1(3), 20-30.
Somech, A. and Drach-Zahavy, A. (2000). Understanding Extra-role Behaviour in Schools: the Relationship between Job-satisfaction, Sense of Efficacy and Teachers’ Extra-Role Behaviour. Teaching and Teacher Education, 16, 649-659.
Taylor, M; Audia, G., and Gupta, A. (1996). The Effect of Lengthening Job Tenure on Managers’ Organizational Commitment and Turnover. Organizational Science, 7(6), 632-648.
Tesfaye, S. (2003). Effects of Working Conditions on Teachers‟ Plan to Stay in their Career in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Case of Southern Ethiopia. PhD dissertation, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of Tübingen, Germany.
Willams, L. and Anderson, S. (1991). Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment as Predictors of Organizational Citizenship and in-Role Behaviors. Journal of Management, 17, 601-617.
Workneh Timamo and Tessema Ayalew (2002). Dissatisfying Factors of Work Environment in Selected Higher Education Institutions, DCTEHS, Debub University. Unpublished Research Report.
World Bank (2003). Higher Education Development for Ethiopia: Perusing the Vision. World Bank Sector Study. November 20, 2003.
Batmann, R., and Stresser, S.A. (1984). A longitudinal Analysis of the Antecedents of Organizational Commitment. Academy and Management Journal, 77, 95-112.
Chang, E. (1999). Career Commitment as Complex Moderator of Organizational Commitment and Turnover Intention. Human Relations. 52, 1257-1278.
Cohen, A. (1999). Turnover Among Professionals: A longitudinal Study of American Lawyers. Human Resource Management, 38(1), 61-75. Conley, S. and Muncey, D.E. (1999). Organizational Climate and Teacher Professionalism: Identifying Teacher Work Environment Dimensions. In J.H. Freiberg (Ed.) School Climate: Measuring, Improving and Sustaining Healthy Learning Environments, 1999, Flamer Press, London.
Darling-Hammond, L. and Sclan, L.M. (1996). Who Teaches and Why? Dilemmas of Building a Profession for Twenty-century Schools. In: J. Sikula (Ed.), Handbook of Research in Teacher Education, pp. 67-101, 1993. Simons Schuster, Macmillan, N.Y., USA.
Darge Wole (2002). The Pre-dominance of Different Sources of Stress among Teachers in Government Senior High Schools of Addis Ababa. The Ethiopian Journal of Education, 22(`1), 1-32.
Debub University (2003). Ten-Years Strategic Plan, Draft Document, September 2003, Awassa, Ethiopia.
Dejene Aredo (2000). The Brain-drain from Ethiopia. Ethiopian Development Forum, 1(3), 1-19. Firestone, W.A. and Pennell, J.R. (1993). Teacher Commitment, Working Conditions and Differential Incentive Policies. Review of Educational Research, 63(4), 489-525. Hannam, R. and Jimmieson, N. (2002). The Relationship between Extra-role Behaviors and Job-burnout for Primary School Teachers: A Preliminary Model and Development of an Organizational Citizenship Behavior Scale. http:// www. Aare.edu.au/02pap/han02173.htm.
Huselid, M. and Day, N. (1991). Organizational Commitment, Job Involvement, and Turnover: A Substantive and Methodological Analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 76, 380-391.
Jaros, S.; Jermier, J.; Koehler, J. and Sinicich, T. (1993). Effects of Continuance, Affective and Moral Commitment on the Withdrawal Process: An Evaluation of Eight Structural Equation Models. Academy of Management Journals, 36, 951-995.
Luthanos, F; Baack, D and Tayler, L. (1987). Organizational Commitment: Analysis of Antecedents. Human Relations, 40(4), 219-235.
Mathieu, J., and Zajac, D. (1990). A Review and Meta-Analysis of the Antecedents, Correlates, and Consequences of Organizational Commitment. American Sociological Review. 33, 499-517.
McShane, S. L. and Von Glinow, M.A. (2000). Organizational Behavior. MaGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Menna, O. and Tesfaye, S. (2000). Determinants of decision to Leave or Stay in the Teaching Profession. The Ethiopian Journal of Education, 20(`1), 1-23 Meyer, J and Allen, N. (1990). The Measurement of Antecedents of Affective, Continuance, and Normative Commitment to the Organization. Journal of Occupational Psychology. 63. Meyer, J and Allen, N. (1991). A Three-Component Model of Organizational Commitment. Human Resource Development Review, 1(1), 61-89. Meyer, J.P.; Allen, N.J. and Smith, C.A. (1993). Commitment to Organizations and Occupations: Extensions and Test of a Three-component Conceptualization. Journal of Applied Psychology, 78(4), 538-551.
Moonman, R.H. (1991). Relationships between Organizational Justice and Organizational Citizenship Behaviors. Do Fairness Perceptions Influence Employee Citizenship? Journal of Applied Psychology, 76, 845-855.
Nagy, M.S. (2002). Using a Single-item Approach to Measure Facet Jib Satisfaction. Journal of Occupational Psychology, 75, 77-86.
Posdakoff, P., Mackenzie, S., Paine, B. and Bacharch, D, (2000). Organizational Citizenship Behavior: A Critical Review of Theoretical and Empirical Literature and suggestions for future research. Journal of Management, 26(3), 513-563.
Seyoum Teferra (1992). Brain Drain among Academicians in two Higher Learning Institutions in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian Journal of Education, XIII,2, 20-30.
Seyoum Teferra (2000). The Causes and Magnitude of Brain-drain in Higher Education Institutions with a Particular Reference to AAU: Go West, Young Man (GO). Ethiopian Development Forum, 1(3), 20-30.
Somech, A. and Drach-Zahavy, A. (2000). Understanding Extra-role Behaviour in Schools: the Relationship between Job-satisfaction, Sense of Efficacy and Teachers’ Extra-Role Behaviour. Teaching and Teacher Education, 16, 649-659.
Taylor, M; Audia, G., and Gupta, A. (1996). The Effect of Lengthening Job Tenure on Managers’ Organizational Commitment and Turnover. Organizational Science, 7(6), 632-648.
Tesfaye, S. (2003). Effects of Working Conditions on Teachers‟ Plan to Stay in their Career in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Case of Southern Ethiopia. PhD dissertation, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of Tübingen, Germany.
Willams, L. and Anderson, S. (1991). Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment as Predictors of Organizational Citizenship and in-Role Behaviors. Journal of Management, 17, 601-617.
Workneh Timamo and Tessema Ayalew (2002). Dissatisfying Factors of Work Environment in Selected Higher Education Institutions, DCTEHS, Debub University. Unpublished Research Report.
World Bank (2003). Higher Education Development for Ethiopia: Perusing the Vision. World Bank Sector Study. November 20, 2003.
Published
2004-06-01
Section
Articles