Is there any cost effective way to secure it?

The concept of organisational commitment (OC) is not easy to describe. By studying the literature on OC it becomes apparent that there is little consensus as to the meaning of the term.

As the area has grown and developed, researchers from various disciplines have ascribed their own meaning to the topic. This is one of the reasons why defining OC is difficult. One definition is "Giving all of yourself while at work" (Martin and Nicolls). This definition is not very specific nor is it precise. A second definition says that work commitment come into being "When a person, by making a side-bet, links extraneous interests with a consistent line of activity." (Becker, 1960) This definition focuses mainly on activities and behaviour in OC. A third definition explains OC as "an attitude or an orientation towards the organisation which links or attaches the identity of the person to the organisation." (Sheldon, 1971)

The two last definitions differ from each other in their understanding of OC. The second focuses mainly on behaviour while the third is more based on attitude and identification. A good definition should cover the attitudinal-behavioural dichotomy and one definition that does that is Richard T Mowday et al's (1982) definition:

This definition represents something more than the previous because it says that OC goes beyond mere passive loyalty to an organisation. It sees commitment to an organisation as an active relationship with the organisation such that individuals are willing to give something of themselves in order to contribute to the organisation's well being. Mowday's definition can be characterised by at least three factors:

· A strong belief in and acceptance of the organisation's goals and values

· A willingness to exert considerable effort on behalf of the organisation and

· A strong desire to maintain membership in the organisation

Mowday's definition also has some weaknesses. Firstly it is important to notice that this definition does not prelude the possibility that individuals will also be committed to other aspects of their environment. It simply asserts that regardless of these other possible commitments the organisationally committed individual will tend to exhibit the three characteristics identified. Secondly, the definition doesn't clarify the terms 'identification with' and 'involvement in'. It can be discussed whether this is a good definition since the terms may be understood as ambiguous.

Although this is not an ideal definition of OC, it is a definition that gives a good understanding and explanation of what OC is.

Furthermore, Staw (77) differentiates between 2 different types of OC.

Attitudinal commitment: Refers to commitment rooted in an employee's identification with the particular value system upheld by the co, and