A structural equation model of organizational commitment by hospital nurses: The moderating effect of each generation through multi-group analysis

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to construct a structural equation model of organizational commitment in hospital nurses based on a job demands–resources model and to confirm the moderating effect(s) according to the nurses’ generation. Methods: The model was constructed of the exogenous variables of social support, emotional intelligence, emotional labor, and job conflict and the endogenous variables of burnout, job engagement, and organizational commitment. The participants were 560 hospital nurses working in 3 general hospitals. Data were collected from August 1 to September 30, 2021, and analyzed using SPSS Window 23.0 and IBM AMOS 23.0. Results: The strongest factor directly influencing hospital nurses’ organizational commitment was social support. In a multiple group analysis, nurses’ generation had a partial moderating effect. In a generation-specific analysis, the Z generation group was higher than the X and Y generation groups in the variables of emotional labor and burnout related to organizational commitment. Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, to improve hospital nurses’ organizational commitment, social support is needed as an important management strategy. At the organizational level, we need to develop ways to improve organizational commitment by reducing the emotional labor and burnout of Generation Z.