EXPLORING THE EFFECTS OF ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT ON EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF ACADEMIC STAFF IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Abstract

This study examines the effect of organizational commitment on employee performance with special reference to academic staff in higher education institutions. Organizational commitment is conceptualized using Meyer and Allen’s three-component model: affective, continuance, and normative commitment. A quantitative research design was adopted, and primary data were collected from 142 academic staff members using a structured questionnaire. Statistical tools such as descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, one-way ANOVA, and regression analysis were applied using SPSS. The results reveal that organizational commitment has a significant and positive impact on employee performance. Among the three dimensions, affective commitment emerged as the strongest predictor of performance, followed by normative commitment, while continuance commitment showed a relatively weaker influence. The findings suggest that higher education institutions should focus on strengthening emotional attachment, loyalty, and supportive work environments to enhance employee performance and institutional effectiveness.