FWU Journal of Social Sciences, Winter 2012, Vol. 6, No. 2,135-145 135 Validation of the Three-Component Model of Organizational Commitment Questionnaire Anéela Maqsood Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi Rubina Hanif and Ghazala Rehman Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan Williams Glenn Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK The psychometric evaluation of the measurement models developed in Western cultures has remained an important consideration in generalizability of the constructs. The present study was designed to test the theoretical factor structure of the Meyer and Allen's model of Organizational Commitment within higher education institutions in Pakistan. The measurement model assesses employees' experience of organizational commitment as three simultaneous mindsets encompassing; affective, continuance, and normative commitment. The participants included a sample of 426 regular faculty members of public and private sector Universities located in Rawalpindi, Islamabad,, and Lahore cities of Punjab, Pakistan. Confirmatory Factor Analysis was used to analyze the data. Results of fit indices, factor loadings, consideration of reliability indices, and an understanding of the rrieaning of the items in relation to the Pakistani working culture were used as decision criteria to retain or exclude items within respective factors. The findings of this study provide support for the existing three factor structure of the OCQ along with the need ior modification of the Continuance Commitment Scale. The findings were discussed in light of a culture-based understanding of dynamics of work and commitment. Keywords: organizational commitment, academics, construct validity, cross-cultural differences, commitment profile Studies on organizational commitment are dominant in the literature of management and behavioral sciences using variety of work settings. As a critical employee attitude, commitment has taken as a key component of work behavior (Cetin, 2006; Cooper-Hakim & Viswesvaran, 2005; Dalai, 2005; Herscovitch & Meyer, 2002; Riketta, 2002). Studies have shown that organizational commitment is an important construct to assess among teachers (Bogler & Somech, 2004; Finegan, 2000; Kushman, 1992; Shaw & Reyes, 1992; Singh & Billinsgley, 1998). Commitment is defined and measured in variety of ways depending on the research models being tested (Meyer & Allen, 1991; Morrow, 1993; Mowday, Porter, & Steers, 1982). Definitional issues suggest that generally commitment is viewed as employees' psychological attachment or a bond (Armstrong, 1996). In a meta-analytic study (Cooper-Hakim & Viswesvaran, 2005) examining 997 studies associated with organizational commitment, the authors found the presence of a common psychological construct underlying different forms of commitment, with the exception of calculative, continuance, and union commitment. Dimensionality of the construct Commitment appears to be a complex and multifaceted construct (Meyer, Allen, & Smith, 1993. Different efforts in Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Anéela Maqsood, Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Email: aneelamaq@vahoo.co.uk explaining the multidimensionality of the commitment concept revealed some similarities between existing multidimensional models. Eariier studies (e.g. McGee & Ford, 1987; Meyer & Allen, 1984) have emphasized that organizational commitment has two, possibly three, components (Allen & Meyer, 1990) including affective, continuance and normative elements. Later, several other multidimensional frameworks seem to have extended the existing conceptualizations of the construct (e.g. O'Reilly & Chatman, 1986; Angle & Perry, 1981; Jaros, Jermier, Koehler, & Sincich, 1993; Mayer & Schoorman, 1998). The attitudinal and behavioral dimensions of organizational commitment were distinguished by Mowday, Porter, and Steers' (1982) model. Attitudinal commitment reflects the degree of employees' identification with organizational goals and their willingness to work towards these goals. Conversely, behavioral commitment represents an enactment of behaviors to bind the ennployee closer to' the organization. Mowday and associates mentioned that a reciprocal relationship exists between both aspects of this kind of commitment. Based on this model (Mowday, Steers, & Porter, 1979), Angle and Perry (1981) supported two underlying factors of commitment namely, acceptance of organizational goals and the willingness to exert effort (value commitment) and desire to maintain membership of the organization (continuance commitment). In similar lines, subsequently, Mayer and Schoorman's (1992) model suggested that organizational commitment comprises two