Antecedents and outcomes of career commitment

Abstract

Based on London's (1983) and London and Mone's (1987) theory of career motivation and the extrawork literature, a hypothesized model of the antecedents and outcomes of career commitment was proposed and tested. Data obtained using structured questionnaires from a sample of teachers and nurses in Singapore (N = 510) were analyzed using LISREL. Results of the LISREL analysis indicate that the model did not fit the data although work role salience, organizational commitment, career satisfaction, and organizational opportunity for development emerged as significant antecedents of career commitment. The only extrawork variable, family supportive activity, was not significantly related to career commitment directly. In terms of outcomes of career commitment, career commitment was significantly and positively related to skill development and negatively to career and job withdrawal intentions but was not significantly related to work quality. Implications of the failure of the model to fit the data for London's and London and Mone's theory are discussed and hypotheses for the model's revision are suggested. © 1992.