Occupational commitment from a life span perspective: An integrative review and a research outlook
2019
Purpose – The purpose of this review was to integrate and organize past research findings on
affective, normative, and continuance occupational commitment (OC) within an integrative
framework based on central life span concepts.
Design/methodology/approach – We identified and systematically analyzed 125 empirical articles
(including 138 cases) that examined OC with a content valid measure to the here applied definition of
OC. These articles provided information on the relationship between OC and four distinct life span
concepts: chronological age, career stages, occupational and other life events, and occupational and
other life roles. Furthermore, developmental characteristics of OC in terms of construct stability and
malleability were reviewed.
Findings – The reviewed literature allowed us to draw conclusions about the mentioned life span
concepts as antecedents and outcomes of OC. For example, age and tenure is more strongly positively
related to continuance OC than to affective and normative OC, nonlinear and moderating influences
seem to be relevant in the case of the latter OC types. We describe several other findings within the
results sections.
Originality/value – OC represents a developmental construct that is influenced by employees’ workand
life-related progress, associated roles, as well as opportunities and demands over their career.
Analyzing OC from such a life span perspective provides a new angle on the research topic,
explaining inconsistencies in past research and giving recommendation for future studies in terms of
dynamic career developmental thinking.
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