Nature, stability and determinants of multi-target commitment profiles: a longitudinal person-centered approach

Adopting a longitudinal person-centred perspective, we examined the profiles of employee commitments to the organization, supervisor, occupation, work team, and family in a diversified sample of employees (N = 1459) surveyed three times at one-month intervals during the COVID-19 pandemic. In line with recent developments in research on commitment towards multiple targets, these profiles were estimated while considering employees' global levels of commitment to their work life (across targets) as well as the specific nature of their commitment to each target. Our results revealed six distinct commitment profiles differing quantitatively and qualitatively from one another and defined by employees' global and target-specific levels of commitment. These profiles were replicated across the three measurement points. Profile membership was moderately to highly stable over time but also demonstrated some malleability. Lastly, we found that employees' levels of basic psychological need satisfaction at work and perception of work meaningfulness predicted membership into more favourable commitment profiles.