Sg. Harris et al., PSYCHOLOGICAL ATTACHMENT - RELATIONSHIPS WITH JOB CHARACTERISTICS, ATTITUDES, AND PREFERENCES FOR NEWCOMER DEVELOPMENT, Group & organization management, 18(4), 1993, pp. 459-481
The present study extends the research on organizational commitment by
examining (a) the dimensionality of O'Reilly and Chatman's (1986) psy
chological attachment instrument, (b) the relationships between psycho
logical attachment and correlates of traditional organizational commit
ment measures, and (c) the relationships between psychological attachm
ent and preferences regarding the early developmental experiences of n
ewly hired, ''high-potential'' employees. Psychological attachment is
demonstrated to be a multidimensional construct that is reasonably wel
l-assessed with O'Reilly and Chatman's instrument. The dimensions of p
sychological attachment are found to relate in predictable ways to job
characteristics, attitudes, and preferences for changes in an entry-l
evel development program. Implications for management scholars and pra
ctitioners are discussed.