An HRM perspective on workplace commitment: Reconnecting in concept, measurement and methodology

Workplace commitment is viewed as an important mechanism connecting HRM practices with organizational outcomes, including performance. For this reason, commitment has emerged as one of the most significant and voluminous areas in HRM studies. Yet some of the key advances in the wider field of commitment have not been incorporate in studies of commitment in the HRM field. This is problematic as the body of work on commitment may develop separately from HRM research, wherein which the construct is so central. We seek to rectify this disconnected development through a systematic literature review which is targeted on three key threads, i.e., (1) definition and conceptual meaning, (2) multiple targets of commitment, and (3) the dynamics of commitment. These three threads are then connected to measurement and methodology , together providing the basis for a ‘toolkit’ for future research on commitment in HRM studies. Our review advances the field of commitment research in HRM by providing much needed conceptual, theoretical and methodological clarification, and by providing ways of bridging the gap and stimulating further research in this area. • We identify a problematic lacuna between recent advances in commitment research and HRM studies adopting this concept. • This study provides a systematic literature review of the past decade of commitment research in HRM studies, identifying: • Three key threads (1) definition and conceptual meaning, (2) multiple targets of commitment, and (3) the dynamics of commitment. • These are discussed in relation to measurement and methodology , showing inconsistencies and directions for future research. • Our toolkit includes six recommendations on how to conceptualize, measure and analyze commitment in HRM studies.