General attitudes and organizational withdrawal: An evaluation of a causal model

Abstract

General constructs of work attitudes and organizational withdrawal were examined. Retirement intentions and desires to retire were included in a conceptualization and measurement of organizational withdrawal because of recent legislation removing mandatory retirement for virtually all employees. Based on the findings from an earlier study (Hanisch & Hulin, 1990), a causal model of work attitudes, work withdrawal, and job withdrawal was developed and tested on a sample of 348 academic and nonacademic employees at a large state university. Health satisfaction, health condition, retirement valence, and biographical information were also included in the hypothesized causal model. Two-stage LISREL VI maximum likelihood estimation procedures were used to test the fit of the measurement and structural model. Several indices indicated that the measurement and structural models fit the data modestly well. The usefulness of studying organizational withdrawal as a general construct and its relation to general attitudinal measures are discussed. Implications of retirement as a voluntary withdrawal behavior are also described.