Organizational Commitment in the Assessment of Employees of Different Generations: A Research Study

Purpose: The article aims at presenting results of the original empirical research on the diagnosis of the relationship between the level of organizational commitment of employees and their generational affiliation. Design/Methodology/Approach: Research was carried out in the form of literature studies and empirical research, using quantitative methods. The survey involved 588 persons working in Polish organizations, belonging to four generations: Late Boomers, Generation X, Generation Y and Generation Z. Employees’ age is an important variable determining the level of organizational commitment. Findings: Taking into account generational differences, empirical research shows a high level of organizational commitment in all three of its components declared by the respondents involved. It was also found that organizational commitment varied depending on its type and the generation to which the respondents belonged. Practical Implications: Due to the benefits implied by a high level of employee commitment for the organization, this issue is important for science and managerial staff. For the leaders of organizations, the results of the conducted study may indicate the directions for increasing organizational commitment, taking into account generational diversity. Originality/value: The level of organizational commitment was identified in three components: affective commitment, continuance commitment and normative commitment in the context of employees' generational affiliation. The collected factual material fills the epistemological gap identified as a result of the studies of Polish and foreign literature on the discussed issues.