Organisational commitment measuring instrument convergent and discriminant validity study in an educational setting

Abstract

The contributions made by committed employees towards organisational success have been well documented. In education, it has been emphasised that committed teachers are not only attached to the teaching profession but also find ways to promote it and create an enabling environment for learners to realise learning outcomes. However, many instruments developed to measure the organisational commitment construct have focused on employees in business organisations with minimal attention paid to those in the school environment. This article evaluates the convergent and discriminant validity of the organisational commitment measuring instrument for primary school teachers in the South African context. A preliminary analysis identified four explanatory factors of organisational commitment. This study focused on identifying factors influencing teachers’ organisational commitment. The study was conducted through a quantitative research design using a sample of primary school teachers in an educational circuit, South Africa. A sample (n = 350) completed the organisational commitment instrument with an 86% response rate. Confirmatory factor analysis in structural equation modelling was conducted using SMARTPLS 3. The study confirmed the convergent and discriminant validity of the three factors. The structural equation model results revealed that only two factors strongly influenced primary school teachers’ organisational commitment. The implication is that the adapted model can explain primary school teachers’ organisational commitment in a school environment.