This paper examines how and why firm internal labor markets (FILMs) are related to employees' organizational commitment (OC) Membership in a FILM might be expected to enhance one's OC for several reasons: FILMs are assumed to be associated with greater promotion opportunities, earnings, firm-specific skills, and autonomy; and less likely to be related to unionization. We measure these concepts and examine their role in linking FILMs and OC Our analysis is based on two nationally representative samples of employees and work organizations in Norway and the United States We find that FILMs are only weakly related or unrelated to OC in both Norway and the United States.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Althauser, R.P.1989. Internal Labor Markets. Annual Review of Sociology15, 143-161.
2.
Althauser, R.P. & Kalleberg, A.L.1981. Firms, Occupations, and the Structure of Labor Markets : A Conceptual Analysis. In I. Berg (ed.), Sociological Perspectives on Labor Markets , pp. 119-149New York: Academic Press.
3.
Baron, J.N., Davis-Blake, A. & Bielby, W.T.1986. The Structure of Opportunity How Promotion Ladders Vary Within and Among Organizations. Administrative Science Quarterly31, 248-273.
4.
Becker, H.S.1960. Notes on the Concept of CommitmentAmerican Journal of Sociology22, 32-40.
5.
Boudon, R.1982. The Unintended Consequences of Social ActionNew York: Academic Press.
6.
Burawoy, M.1983. Factory Regimes Under Advanced Capitalism. American Sociological Review48, 587-605.
7.
Darden, W.R., Hampton, R. & Howell, R.D.1989. Career Versus Organizational Commitment : Antecedents and Consequences of Retail Salespeoples' Commitment. Journal of Retailing65, 80-106.
8.
Dobbin, F. & Boychuk, T.1991. Job Autonomy and National Context Evidence from Nine Nations . Paper presented at the 1991 American Sociological Association Meetings, Cincinnati, Ohio.
9.
Edwards, R.C.1979. Contested Terrain: The Transformation of the Work Place in the Twentieth CenturyNew York: Basic Books.
10.
Freeman, R.B. & Medoff, J.L.1984. What Do Unions Do?New York. Basic Books.
11.
Gaertner, K.N. & Nollen, S.D.1989. Career Experiences, Perceptions of Employment Practices, and Psychological Commitment to the Organization. Human Relations42, 975-991.
12.
Grusky, O.1966. Career Mobility and Organizational Commitment. Administrative Science Quarterly10, 488-503.
13.
Kalleberg, A.L.1992. Modern Worlds Apart: Work Cultures in the United States, Japan, and Norway. Paper presented at the Third National Conference of Sociology in Norway, Lofoten, 17-21 June
14.
Kalleberg, A.L. & Marsden, P.V.1994. Organizational Commitment and Job Performance in the U.S. Labor Force. Forthcoming in R. L. Simpson & I. Harper Simpson (eds.), Research in the Sociology of Work, Volume 5 The Meaning of Work. Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
15.
Kalleberg, A.L. & Van Buren, M.E.1994. Is Bigger Better?: Explaining the Relationship Between Organization Size and Job RewardsPaper presented at the 1993 Amencan Sociological Association meetings , Miami.
16.
Kanter, R.M.1977. Men and Women of the CorporationNew York: Basic Books.
17.
Kipnis, D.1964. Mobility Expectations and Attitudes Toward Industrial Structure. Human Relations17, 57-71.
18.
Landau, J. & Hammer, T.H.1986. Clerical Employee's Perceptions of Intraorganizational Career OpportunitiesAcademy of Management Journal29, 385-404.
19.
Lincoln, J.R. & Kalleberg, A.L.1990Culture, Control, and Commitment A Study of Work Organization and Work Attitudes in the United States and Japan . Cambndge, England: Cambndge University Press.
20.
Listhaug, O., Jenssen, A.T. & Mysen, H.T.1983. Values in Norway Study Description and Codebook. ISS report no 11, Department of Sociology, University of Trondheim
21.
Loscocco, K.A.1990. Career Structures and Employee Commitment. Social Science Quarterly71, 53-68.
22.
Marsden, P.V., Kalleberg, A.L. & Cook, C R. 1993. Gender Differences In Organizational Commitment. Influences of Work Positions and Family Roles. Work and Occupations20, 368-390.
23.
Mastekaasa, A.1988. Blir vi mer mobileSukelys på arbeidsmarkedet88/2, 33-40.
24.
Mastekaasa, A.1992. Organizational Contexts and Individual Behavior: Potential and Limitations of the Norwegian Study of Organizations. Acta Sociologica35, 141-150.
25.
Mowday, R.T., Porter, L.W. & Steers, R. M 1982. Employee-organizational Linkages. The Psychology of Commitment, Absenteeism and TurnoverNew York: Academic Press.
26.
Mueller, C.W. , Wallace, J.E. & Price, J.L.1992. Employee Commitment: Resolving Some Issues. Work and Occupations19, 211-236.
27.
Oecd.1984. OECD Employment Outlook (September).
28.
Pfeffer, J. & Cohen, Y.1984. Determinants of Internal Labor Markets in OrganizationsAdministrative Science Quarterly29, 550-572.
29.
Porter, L.W., Steers, R.M., Mowday, R.T. & Boulian, P.V.1974. Organizational Commitment, Job Satisfaction and Turnover Among Psychiatric Technicians. Journal of Applied Psychology59, 603-609.
30.
Prosser, R. , Rasbash, J. & Goldstein, H.1991ML3 Software for Three-Level Analysis. London Institute of Education, University of London
31.
Slocum, J.W. Jr , Cron, W.L. , Hansen, R.W. & Rawlings, S.1985Business Strategy and the Management of Plateaued Employees . Academy of Management Journal28, 133-154.
