Organizational commitment scale: OCQ and how to use it

Organizational commitment, also called organizational attachment, is the degree to which employees identify with the organization's goals and values and wish to remain members. Mowday, Steers and Porter (1979) built the OCQ around affective commitment; Meyer and Allen later split the concept into three components: affective, continuance, and normative. Common thesis topics in Vietnam include the commitment of bank employees, civil servants, and teachers, and the effects of leadership, corporate culture, and organizational support.

Comparing the scales

Items of each scale

Original English wording from the published source. Replace placeholders such as [system] or [brand] with what your study is about, and pilot the questionnaire with 20 to 30 respondents first.

Organizational Commitment (OC) · Organizational commitment (OCQ)

Code	Item
OC1	I am willing to put in a great deal of effort beyond that normally expected in order to help this organization be successful.
OC2	I talk up this organization to my friends as a great organization to work for.
OC3 (R)	I feel very little loyalty to this organization.
OC4	I would accept almost any type of job assignment in order to keep working for this organization.
OC5	I find that my values and the organization's values are very similar.
OC6	I am proud to tell others that I am part of this organization.
OC7 (R)	I could just as well be working for a different organization as long as the type of work was similar.
OC8	This organization really inspires the very best in me in the way of job performance.
OC9 (R)	It would take very little change in my present circumstances to cause me to leave this organization.
OC10	I am extremely glad that I chose this organization to work for over others I was considering at the time I joined.
OC11 (R)	There's not too much to be gained by sticking with this organization indefinitely.
OC12 (R)	Often, I find it difficult to agree with this organization's policies on important matters relating to its employees.
OC13	I really care about the fate of this organization.
OC14	For me this is the best of all possible organizations for which to work.
OC15 (R)	Deciding to work for this organization was a definite mistake on my part.

Source: Mowday, Steers & Porter (1979). Response scale, licence and APA reference: Organizational commitment (OCQ).

Use in the survey kit

(R): reverse-coded item; recode before analysis. Organizational commitment (OCQ): 1–7 scale: new score = 1 + 7 − score = 8 − score; 1–5 scale: new score = 1 + 5 − score = 6 − score.

Tips

• The OCQ has 6 reverse items (OC3, OC7, OC9, OC11, OC12, OC15). On a 7-point scale, reverse by subtracting the score from 8.
• Many studies use the 9-item version with positively worded items only to avoid problems caused by reverse items. If you shorten the scale, state this clearly in your methods chapter.
• 15 items is fairly long. If your model has many constructs, consider the 9-item version.
• Replace [company] with the name of the organization, or 'agency' for the public sector.

Once you have a scale, put the concept in the research model drawer to state your hypotheses, work out the minimum sample size, and after data collection check reliability with the Cronbach's alpha calculator.

Frequently asked questions

How does organizational commitment differ from work engagement?

Organizational commitment is attachment to the workplace. Work engagement is a state of energy and absorption while working. A person can be absorbed in their work yet not attached to their current company.

Should I use the OCQ or Meyer and Allen's three-component scale?

If your thesis needs only affective commitment, the OCQ is a well-sourced choice. If you need to distinguish staying because of attachment, cost, or obligation, you need the three-component scale, which is not yet in the library.

Is the OCQ free to use?

The OCQ was published in a 1979 article and is widely used in academic research. See the copyright section on the scale page for details.