The Influence of Individual and Organizational Variables on Organizational Commitment Among Nurses

Abstract

Demands on nurses in China are increasing following the introduction of China's 'New Healthcare Reform Program', leading to more stressful working conditions and increased burnout and turnover. Employing a social exchange framework, this study investigates emotional exhaustion and positive organizational support (POS) as individual level psychological mechanisms though which organizational level flexible work practices and staffing adequacy influence employee affective organizational commitment among 393 nurses from two hospitals in Zhejiang Province, China. We tested full and partial mediation models. POS partially mediated the relationship between employee perceptions of staffing adequacy and affective organizational commitment. POS also fully mediated the relationship between employee perceptions of flexible work schedules and affective organizational commitment; however emotional exhaustion did not mediate the flexibility of work schedules -- affective commitment relationship or the flexibility of work schedules -- affective commitment relationship. Our results highlight links between organization practice and employee outcomes, informing future practice.

Keywords: China, Nurses, Social Exchange Theory; Organizational Support