DOI: 10.4018/IJSECSR.2019070102
International Journal of Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Corporate Social Responsibility
Volume 4 • Issue 2 • July-December 2019
Copyright © 2019, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited.
23
Assessing the Relationship Between
Retention Factors and Organizational
Commitment of University Faculty
Gerald Dapaah Gyamf, University of Professional Studies, Accra, Ghana
ABSTRACT
Retaining faculty at a university depends on a range of factors that have implications on the
commitment of the faculty to that institution. In this study, one hundred and twenty faculty members
were selected from a public university in Ghana to assess the relationship that exists between
retention and commitment of faculty members. This quantitative study used cross-sectional design
and convenience sampling techniques to gather data using subjects from the faculty of a university
with population of 272. Results from this study disclosed that generally the commitment of the faculty
members to their university was high. There was a positive and significant relationship between the
level of organizational commitment and compensation received by the members of faculty but with a
low effect size. The findings also revealed that the female faculty members were more satisfied with
their compensation than their male counterparts and their normative commitment was also higher.
KEywORdS
Attrition, Emotional Attachment, Ghana, Job Satisfaction, Supervisor Support, Work-Life
INTROdUCTION
The operational definition of faculty commitment in this study is faculty loyalty, degree of congruence
of value and goal, desire to be associated with, and willingness to exert maximum effort on behalf of
the university (Bateman & Strasser, 1984). Generally, commitment is associated with the intention to
continuously remain within an organization or a profession and it provides information about retention
(Womack, Lenty, & Bullock-Yowell, 2018). Commitment to a university is determined by the extent
to which an individual appreciates and associates with the mission and values of the university and
makes an effort to remain and move along with the strategic direction of that institution (Porter et
al., Sholihin & Pike, 2010; Womack, Lenty, & Bullock-Yowell, 2018).
Retention factors within an institution include certain behavioral practices that determine the
extent of the commitment of staff to their organizations. Time availability for research and continuous
improvement in research seminars and workshops increase the satisfaction that the faculty members
derive from their institutions (Lawrence, 2014). Managerial support with incentives that support
teaching and learning, and avenues created for the faculty to make inputs on issues regarding their
work-life at their universities provide job satisfaction. The incentives boost their morale to become
committed to their institutions (Kelly, Gayle, & William, 2017).
Studies have shown that conflict with supervisors, incompatible work schedules, certain behavioral
factors from the management of higher education institutions that lead to inadequate developmental
opportunities of the faculty decrease their organizational commitment (Jo, 2008). The challenges