Changes in affective and continuance commitment in times of relocation

Abstract

Affective and continuance commitment were measured during a corporate relocation and again 2 years later. Although mean levels of commitment across all employees remained constant, there were individual increases and decreases in both types of commitment. The changes in the two forms of commitment were associated with different patterns of antecedent factors. Changes in affective commitment were related to both work and non-work impacts, as well as two positive outcomes of the relocation. Changes in continuance commitment bore a relationship to only one relocation outcome—financial impact. Thus, the discriminant validity of the two forms of commitment was supported in this longitudinal analysis.