A study on factors affecting affective organizational commitment among knowledge workers in Malaysia

Abstract

In 2002, Datuk Tan Chai Ho (Tan, 2002) from the Ministry of Energy, Communications and Multimedia had said that Malaysia should attract knowledge workers and technopreneurs in order to make Malaysia the global test bed for technology. The cry for knowledge workers in knowledge organizations has been the result of a knowledge-based economy or Keconomy. One of the biggest challenges for most knowledge organizations in these highly competitive times comes from changes in work behaviours of the new generation of workers – knowledge workers (Amar, 2002). Understanding knowledge workers and what makes them stay and continue to contribute to the organization is a formidable task for most managers. In this context, knowledge workers affective organizational commitment is a measurement which determines if the employee will still continue to work with the current organization. Thus is the nature of this study as it aims to determine the factors which will influence affective organizational commitment among knowledge workers. This research has identified and will examine how five factors of organizational practices namely Knowledge Sharing Practices, Task Orientation, Fairness of performance management and promotion, Opportunities of training and development and finally Compensation will influence affective organizational commitment among knowledge workers. Thus, this research will contribute significantly to organizations wanting to encourage knowledge workers to be committed and continue their service with them in this knowledge–based economy.