Commitment profiles and employee turnover

We examined how affective (AC), normative (NC), perceived sacrifice (PS), and few alternatives (FA) commitments combine to form profiles and determine turnover intention and turnover. We theorized that three mechanisms account for how profiles operate, i.e., the degree to which membership is internally regulated, the perceived desirability and ease of movement, and the within-person contextual effects among profiles. In a sample of 712 University alumni, we found evidence of six profiles of commitment, reflecting different combinations of commitment forms. The AC Dominant, AC–NC Dominant, and Committed profiles displayed lower turnover intention than the Continuance Dominant and Not Committed profiles. Moreover, the Continuance Dominant profile and the profiles in which AC was high displayed lower turnover rates than the Not Committed profile. We discuss the implications of these findings for the understanding of drivers operating within commitment profiles.

► Examines the synergistic effects of four forms of commitment on turnover and turnover intention
► Found evidence of six profiles of commitment
► Profiles differentially predict turnover intention and turnover.