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Affective Commitment Scale
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About Affective Commitment Scale
Scale Name
Affective Commitment Scale
Author Details
John P. Meyer and Natalie J. Allen
Translation Availability
Not Sure
Background/Description
The Affective Commitment Scale (ACS) emerged from the groundbreaking work of John P. Meyer and Natalie J. Allen in 1984. Recognizing the limitations of prior models that conflated employee loyalty with external pressures, they proposed a three-component approach to organizational commitment. Within this framework, the ACS specifically targeted the emotional dimension, measuring the strength of an individual’s emotional attachment, identification, and involvement with their organization. This marked a significant shift in focus, highlighting the intrinsic factors driving employee engagement and dedication beyond mere economic or social ties.
The initial ACS consisted of eight carefully crafted statements, reflecting both positive and negative sentiments, that participants rated on a Likert scale. This design aimed to minimize response bias and capture the nuances of emotional connection. Through extensive research and validation, the ACS established itself as a reliable and valid tool for assessing affective commitment, paving the way for countless studies on employee motivation, turnover, and organizational effectiveness.
Today, the ACS remains a cornerstone in organizational research, adapted and refined over time to address specific contexts and industries. Its impact extends beyond academia, informing organizational practices related to talent management, leadership development, and employee engagement initiatives. As companies strive to foster a supportive and fulfilling work environment, understanding the power of affective commitment continues to be crucial for building a loyal and thriving workforce.
Administration, Scoring and Interpretation
- Instructions: Briefly explain the purpose of the survey and ensure participants understand the concept of affective commitment.
- Anonymity: Emphasize the anonymity and confidentiality of responses to encourage honest assessments.
- Rating: Clearly explain the meaning of the rating scale, typically a 5-point Likert scale ranging from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree.”
- Question clarification: Briefly clarify any questions participants might have about the statements before they begin.
Reliability and Validity
The Affective Commitment Scale (ACS) has been extensively researched and tested, demonstrating strong reliability and validity across various contexts. Here’s a breakdown of its key strengths:
- Internal consistency: Studies consistently report Cronbach’s alpha values for the ACS exceeding 0.70, indicating good internal consistency and coherence among the scale items.
- Test-retest reliability: Scores on the ACS remain relatively stable over time when measured again with a reasonable interval (e.g., weeks or months), demonstrating reliable measurement of the underlying construct.
- Inter-rater reliability: When multiple observers score the same ACS responses, their ratings show good agreement, suggesting the scale is not susceptible to subjective bias.
- Convergent validity: The ACS scores correlate positively with other measures of job satisfaction, organizational citizenship behavior, and organizational trust, supporting its connection to relevant constructs.
- Discriminant validity: The ACS scores show low correlation with other dimensions of organizational commitment (normative and continuance) and with unrelated constructs like job involvement, highlighting its distinct measurement of emotional attachment.
- Construct validity: Research using factor analysis confirms the unidimensional structure of the ACS, reflecting a single underlying construct of affective commitment.
However, it’s important to consider some limitations:
- Social desirability bias: Participants may answer in a way they perceive as socially desirable, potentially inflating scores.
- Cultural sensitivity: The language and context of the scale items may not be entirely appropriate for all cultures, requiring adaptations for cross-cultural use.
- Limited dimensions: The original ACS may not capture all potential facets of affective commitment, leading to calls for more nuanced versions.
Available Versions
06-Items
Reference
Meyer, J. P., Allen, N. J., & Gellatly, I. R. (1990). Affective and continuance commitment to the organization: Evaluation of measures and analysis of concurrent and time-lagged relations. Journal of applied psychology, 75(6), 710.
Allen, N. J., & Meyer, J. P. (1990). The measurement and antecedents of affective, continuance and normative commitment to the organization. Journal of occupational psychology, 63(1), 1-18.
Important Link
Scale File:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is it?
Measures an employee’s emotional attachment to their organization.
How does it work?
Participants rate statements about their connection to the organization.
Why is it used?
To understand employee engagement, motivation, and turnover.
Is it reliable?
Yes, it has strong internal consistency and test-retest reliability.
Is it valid?
Yes, it correlates with other relevant constructs and shows discriminant validity.
Limitations?
Potential for social desirability bias and limited cultural sensitivity.
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