2003 IMTA Proceedings - International Military Testing Association

INTRODUCTION
This study investigated the structure and antecedents of employee commitment in
the Singapore Army. In the modern battlefield, technology has been a proven force
multiplier. However, the employment of the best weapons’ systems can only be optimized in
the hands of talented and committed individuals. An understanding of the structure and
antecedents of Organizational Commitment in the Army would provide a source of insight
for the formulation of strategic career development as well as recruitment and retention
policies. Not only will this provide the Army with a potential edge in the highly competitive
Singapore labour market, but will also assist in developing processes that imbue commitment,
something paramount to an organization that has been entrusted with the sacred responsibility
of the country’s defence.
METHOD
A cross-sectional survey design was employed. Data was collected via selfadministered
questionnaires. 15 Battalions were randomly selected for the survey. A total
of 621 regular Army personnel completed and returned the questionnaire. Organizational
Commitment was measured using the revised 18-item scale developed by Meyer et al (1993).
This scale has been used extensively and a review by Allen and Meyer (1996) of the evidence
relevant to the reliability and construct validity of the scale provided strong support for its use
in substantive research. A second section comprised 48 items pertaining to employees’
perception of various aspects of working in an organization, e.g. work relations, work
environment, rewards, etc. These items were derived and used by Lim (2001) in his study of
organizational commitment in a Singapore Public Sector undertaking. The generic nature of
the items made them applicable to the Army and hence was used in this study as possible
antecedents of Organizational Commitment as postulated by Meyer et al (1993).
ANALYSES & RESULTS
Exploratory Factor Structure of the 18-item Scale
To ascertain the construct validity of the Meyer and Allen scale, Exploratory Factor
Analysis using SPSS 10.0 for Windows was conducted on the 18 items. Principal axis
factoring extraction and Varimax rotation were used to mirror the approach adopted by
Meyer et al, (1993). An examination of the scree-plot suggested that 3 factors might be
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45 th Annual Conference of the International Military Testing Association
Pensacola, Florida, 3-6 November 2003