Date of Award

Spring 1-1-2021

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts Degree

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Horvath, Michael

Second Advisor

Chieh-Chen Bowen

Third Advisor

Steven Slane

Abstract

This study examines organizational commitment in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic through two similar, yet distinct, pathways. Using a foundation of existing social and organizational psychology concepts, researchers predict that continuance commitment will be influenced by the presence of pandemic policies. That relationship is predicted to be mediated by the perceived risk of catching COVID-19 at work, and the relationship between pandemic policy presence and perceived risk will be moderated by belief in the pandemic. Similarly, researchers predict that affective commitment will also be influenced by the presence of pandemic policies. That relationship is predicted to be mediated by perceived organizational support, and the relationship between perceived organizational support and pandemic policy presence will be moderated by belief in the pandemic. Participants completed an online questionnaire and were predominately white, middle-aged men in the computer science industry. Multiple regression and conditional process analyses are used to interpret the data. Results indicate that the relationship between affective commitment and pandemic policies is mediated by perceived organizational support. There is not enough evidence to support the indirect effect of pandemic policies on continuance commitment through perceived risk. There is also not enough evidence to support the impact of belief in the pandemic on either pathway. Implications and future research directions are discussed.

Download
COinS