Commitment and Detachment in Voluntary Associations

Abstract

Membership commitment to and detachment from voluntary associations is hypothesized to be affected by the degree to which the organization's political structure facilitates social control by members, in the sense of mutual self-regulation. Three components of the polity-decentralization, communication, and total influence-are analyzedfor their impact on members of 32 noneconomic voluntary associations in Indianapolis. Using a contextual-effects model, communication and participation in decisions are found to increase commitment and to reduce detachment net of other organizational and individual factors. An interaction between communication and decision participation suggests that communication can compensate for lack of direct involvement in making decisions in strengthening member support for the collectivity.