Predictors of Affective Organizational Commitment of Vocational High School Principals in Taiwan

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the importance of personal background characteristics (age, gender, education, and organizational tenure), organizational management (pay satisfaction, perceived organizational support, perceived fairness; and perceived autonomy) and leadership style, and school setting characteristics (status, location and size) in explaining affective organizational commitment of vocational high school principals in Taiwan. All 157 vocational high school principals’ in Taiwan were selected. A questionnaire on affective organizational commitment of vocational high school principals in Taiwan had been mailed to all respondents with a return stamped envelop. A return rate of 72% had been recorded and data were collected from responses to those returned questionnaires. A stepwise multiple regression analysis (SMRA) was used to examine the relationships between the independent and dependent variables. As a result, this study indicated that there is a relationship between principals’ personal background characteristics (level of education and organizational tenure), organizational management (pay satisfaction and perceived fairness), school setting characteristics (school location and status) and their commitment to the organization. As a contribution, this study participated to determine the main important values that may lead a school principal to stay with his organization and, by this fact, to assess the predictors of affective organizational commitment of school principals. The main implication of this study is that culture of fairness in schools may be a roadmap for teachers and students, administrators, educators and stakeholders in order to achieve a human development of the current and future workforce.

The purpose of this study was to assess the importance of personal background characteristics (age, gender, education, and organizational tenure), organizational management (pay satisfaction, perceived organizational support, perceived fairness; and perceived autonomy) and leadership style, and school setting characteristics (status, location and size) in explaining affective organizational commitment of vocational high school principals in Taiwan. All 157 vocational high school principals’ in Taiwan were selected. A questionnaire on affective organizational commitment of vocational high school principals in Taiwan had been mailed to all respondents with a return stamped envelop. A return rate of 72% had been recorded and data were collected from responses to those returned questionnaires. A stepwise multiple regression analysis (SMRA) was used to examine the relationships between the independent and dependent variables. As a result, this study indicated that there is a relationship between principals’ personal background characteristics (level of education and organizational tenure), organizational management (pay satisfaction and perceived fairness), school setting characteristics (school location and status) and their commitment to the organization. As a contribution, this study participated to determine the main important values that may lead a school principal to stay with his organization and, by this fact, to assess the predictors of affective organizational commitment of school principals. The main implication of this study is that culture of fairness in schools may be a roadmap for teachers and students, administrators, educators and stakeholders in order to achieve a human development of the current and future workforce.