CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1Background to the Study
Workers in the contemporary society are expressing a strong desire to pursue more than just a job. They are looking for employment opportunities that promise an extension of their interests, personality and abilities. They want a variety of things from their jobs besides a pay cheque and a few fringe benefits, and their commitment to the organization depends upon the degree to which their employer satisfies these wants (Agba, 2010).
High salaries, good working conditions, health and dental insurance, retirement plans, stock purchase programmes, reduced work hours, technological advancement, educational reimbursement programmes among others might seem to be the necessary ingredients for employee happiness and commitment at the place of work. Despite these benefits, there are many employees at all levels that appear to be dissatisfied with themselves, thereby impairing their commitment (Agwu, 2013; Mehmood, 2013).
However, as organization battles to get the most from their existing employees in an environment characterized by skill shortages, the role of human resource practices in the organization in fostering employees’ engagement and commitment is paramount. In doing this, many organizations are aware of the significant impact both positive and negative that employees have on organizational performance and productivity (Osa and Amos, 2014).
Employees’ commitment is one of the job related attitudes which has attracted the minds of scholars and practitioners in the field of Human Resources Management due to the impact it has on employees and organizational performance (Robbins, 2005). The literature suggests that individuals become committed to organizations for a variety of reasons, including an affective attachment to the values of the organization, a realization of the costs involved with leaving the organization, and a sense of obligation to the organization (Meyer and Allen, cited in Folorunsho et al., 2014).
Currently employees act like entrepreneurs when they work in a team and every member of the team tries his level best to prove himself the best amongst all others. Those things increase their commitment level in the organization that ultimately increases the performance of the organization. In the past, organizations provide job security to its employees to improve their commitment level in the organization and to improve their productivity. Higher level of employee commitment in the organization for individual projects or to the business is assumed as a major reason for better organizational performance that leads to organizational success (Zia-ur-Rehman et al., 2011).