The factor structure of union commitment: an application of confirmatory factor analysis

Article Abstract:

Gordon, Philpot, Burt, Thompson, and Spiller (1980) developed a Union Commitment scale and identified four underlying factors. Friedman and Harvey (1986), in a reanalysis of the Gordon et al. data, concluded that union commitment was best represented by two factors. Although several investigations have replicated the Gordon et al. factor structure, none of these have used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). In the present study, we used CFA to test the explanatory power of the two a priori factor structures. A sample of 465 blue-collar workers working for a large utility company in the midwestern United States participated in this investigation. The results suggest that, first, a modified version of Gordon et al.'s four-factor solution provides a better representation of the factor structure of union commitment. Second, the use of either the four-factor solution or commitment as a unidimensional construct may be justified, depending on the research focus. Finally, we found that unit weighting of the union commitment items was the most appropriate strategy for generating composites. The implication of these results and suggestions for future research are discussed. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

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A construct validity study of the survey of perceived organizational support

Article Abstract:

Eisenberger, Huntington, Hutchinson, and Sowa (1986) recently conducted a study focused on a measure of perceived employer commitment that they called the Survey of Perceived Organizational Support (SPOS). In the present study, confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine the dimensionality of the SPOS and to determine the distinctiveness of this construct from other similar constructs. Participants were 330 employees in a large corporation headquartered in the southeastern United States. The results support the SPOS as a unidimensional scale that is distinguishable from affective and continuance commitment. However, the data raise some questions as to the empirical distinction between the SPOS and satisfaction. (Reprinted by permission of publisher.)

Psychological aspects, Labor relations, Organizational behavior

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Evidence for the stability of the four dimensions of the commitment of the union scale

Article Abstract:

Responses to 29 of the original 48 items of the Commitment to the Union Scale (Gordon, Philpot, Burt, Thompson, & Spiller, 1980) were obtained from 208 unionized employees at two points in time. Confirmatory factor analysis found support for the four factors of Union Loyalty, Responsibility to the Union, Willingness to Work for the Union, and Belief in Unionism. Furthermore, it was found that these four factors were stable and reliable over an 8-month time period. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

Factorial experiment designs, Industrial psychology, Industrial-organizational psychology

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