Abstract

RIOS MANRIQUEZ, Martha; TELLEZ RAMIREZ, María del Rayo  and  FERRER GUERRA, Julián. Empowerment as a predictive indicator of organizational commitment in SMEs. Contad. Adm [online]. 2010, n.231, pp.103-125. ISSN 0186-1042.

The relationship between empowerment and organizational commitment variables has been insuffciently explored from the organizational perspective. This research analyzes the relationship between both variables in a small and medium enterprises context and sets the level of influence of empowerment on employees' commitment towards the organization they work for. We use the four dimensions of empowerment (significance, competence, self-determination and impact) in relation with three dimensions (continual, normative and affective) in organizational commitment. The model is validated with a survey of 147 employees from six Mexican SMEs in the industrial, commerce and service sectors. Outcomes confirm that empowerment can predict organizational commitment, but the individual analysis of each dimension shows that only affective commitment has a direct impact on the four dimensions of empowerment.

Keywords : organizational commitment; SME; organizational culture; organizational change; human resources management.

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