The temporary workforce is a small but increasing proportion of the labor market in most industrialized countries. It has been argued that the competitive advantage of temporary work agencies will be increasingly determined by their capacity to retain a committed workforce of temporary agency workers. Hence, we investigated temporary agency workers’ commitment to their client organization and also their temporary work agency. Normative and affective commitments were predicted by perceived organizational support (POS) in the case of both entities, supporting the idea that these types of commitment are governed by a social exchange relationship. Continuance commitment was not associated with POS or placement-related variables. Unexpectedly, agency temps’ commitments did not differ across the two entities. The results suggest that client organizations and temporary work agencies can each strive to achieve greater affective and normative commitments from agency temps, through POS-related activities, without compromising agency temps’ commitments to the other entity.
Allen, N.J., and J.P. Meyer.1996. Affective, continuance, and normative commitment to the organization: An examination of construct validity. Journal of Vocational Behavior49: 252-76.
2.
Arrowsmith, J.2006. Temporary agency work in an enlargedEuropean Union. www.eurofound.eu.int/publications/files/EF05139EN.pdf (accessed 29 March 2006).
3.
Baruch, Y., and B.C. Holtom.2008. Survey response rate levels and trends in organizational research. Human Relations61(8): 1139-60.
4.
Benson, J.1998. Dual commitment: Contract workers in Australian manufacturing enterprises. Journal of Management Studies35: 355-75.
5.
Biggs, D., and S. Swailes.2006. Relations, commitment and satisfaction in agency workers and permanent workers. Employee Relations28: 130-43.
6.
Bishop, J.W., K.D. Scott, M.G. Goldsby, and R. Cropanzano.2005. A construct validity study of commitment and perceived support variables. Group and Organization Management30: 153-80.
7.
Blau, P.M.1964. Exchange and power in social life. New York: Wiley.
8.
Bureau of Labor Statistics.2005. Contingent and alternative employment arrangements, February 2005. www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/conemp.pdf (accessed 29 March 2006).
9.
Cochran, W.G.1950. The comparison of percentages in matched samples. Biometrika37: 256-66.
10.
Connell, J., and J. Burgess.2002. In search of flexibility: Implications for temporary agency workers and human resource management. Australian Bulletin of Labour28(4): 272-83.
11.
Connelly, C.A., and D.G. Gallagher.2004. Emerging trends in contingent work research . Journal of Management30(6): 959-83.
12.
Connelly, C.A., and D.G. Gallagher.2006. Independent and dependent contracting: Meaning and implications. Human Resource Management Review16: 95-106.
13.
Connelly, C.E., D.G. Gallagher, and K.M. Gilley.2007. Organizational and client commitment among contracted employees: A replication and extension with temporary workers . Journal of Vocational Behavior70(2): 326-35.
14.
Cooper-Thomas, H.D., and N. Anderson.2005. Organizational socialization: A field study into socialization success and rate. International Journal of Selection and Assessment13(2): 116-28.
15.
Coyle-Shapiro, J.A-M., and P.C. Morrow.2006. Organizational and client commitment among contracted employees. Journal of Vocational Behavior48: 416-31.
16.
Crampton, S.M., and J.A. Wagner.1994. Percept-percept inflation in microorganizational research: An investigation of prevalence and effect. Journal of Applied Psychology79: 67-76.
17.
De Witte, H., and K. Naswall.2003. Objective vs. subjective job insecurity: Consequences of temporary work for job satisfaction and organizational commitment in fourEuropean countries. Economic and Industrial Democracy24(2): 149-88.
18.
Dunham, R.B., J.A. Grube, and M.B. Castenada.1994. Organizational commitment: The utility of an integrative definition. Journal of Applied Psychology79: 370-80.
19.
Eisenberger, R., S. Armeli, B. Rexwinkel, P.D. Lynch, and L. Rhoades.2001. Reciprocation of perceived organizational support. Journal of Applied Psychology86: 42-51.
20.
Eisenberger, R., J. Cummings, S. Armeli, and P. Lynch.1997. Perceived organizational support, discretionary treatment, and job satisfaction. Journal of Applied Psychology82: 812-20.
21.
Eisenberger, R., P. Fasolo, and V. Davis-LaMastro .1990. Perceived organizational support and employee diligence, commitment, and innovation. Journal of Applied Psychology75: 51-9.
22.
Eisenberger, R., R. Huntington, S. Hutchison, and D. Sowa.1986. Perceived organizational support. Journal of Applied Psychology71: 500-7.
23.
Ellingson, J.E., M.L. Gruys, and P.R. Sackett.1998. Factors related to the satisfaction and performance of temporary employees. Journal of Applied Psychology83: 913-21.
24.
Feather, N., and K.A. Rauter.2004. Organizational citizenship behaviours in relation to job status, job insecurity, organizational commitment and identification, job satisfaction and work values. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology77: 81-94.
25.
Festinger, L.1957. A theory of cognitive dissonance. Evanston, IL: Row Peterson.
26.
Gakovic, A., and L.E. Tetrick.2003. Perceived organizational support and work status: A comparison of the employment relationships of part-time and full-time employees attending university classes. Journal of Organizational Behavior24: 649-66.
27.
Gallagher, D.G., and J. McLean Parks .2001. I pledge thee my troth … contingently: Commitment and the contingent work relationship. Human Resource Management Review11: 181-208.
28.
Gannon, M.J.1984. Preferences of temporary workers: Time, variety, and flexibility . Monthly Labor Review107(10): 26-8.
29.
Giles, D.C.2002. Advanced research methods in psychology. New York: Routledge.
30.
Hackett, R.D., P. Bycio, and P.A. Hausdorf.1994. Further assessments of Meyer and Allen’s (1991) three-component model of organizational commitment. Journal of Applied Psychology79: 15-23.
31.
Handy, J., and D. Davy.2007. Gendered ageism: Older women’s experiences of employment agency practices. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources45(1): 85-99.
32.
Hardy, D.J., and R.J. Walker.2003. Temporary but seeking permanence: A study of New Zealand temps. Leadership and Organization Development Journal24: 141-52.
33.
Harris, R.J.1985. A primer of multivariate statistics. 2nd edn. New York: Academic Press .
34.
Kondratuk, T.B., P.A. Hausdorf, K. Korabik, and H.M. Rosin.2004. Linking career mobility with corporate loyalty: How does job change relate to organizational commitment? Journal of Vocational Behavior65: 332-49.
35.
Laplagne, P., M. Glover, and T. Fry.2005. The growth of labour hire employment in Australia. Productivity Commission Staff Working Paper. Melbourne, February. papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=738904 (accessed 2 October 2008).
36.
Liden, R.C., S.J. Wayne, M.L. Kraimer, and R.T. Sparrow.2003. The dual commitments of contingent workers: An examination of contingents’ commitment to the agency and the organization . Journal of Organizational Behavior24: 609-25.
37.
Lynch, P., R. Eisenberger, and S. Armeli.1999. Perceived organizational support: Inferior-versus-superior performance by wary employees. Journal of Applied Psychology84: 467-83.
38.
McClurg, L.N.1999. Organizational commitment in the temporary-help service industry. Journal of Applied Management Studies8: 5-26.
39.
McDonald, D.J., and P.J. Makin.2000. The psychological contract, organizational commitment and job satisfaction of temporary staff. Leadership and Organization Development Journal21: 84-91.
40.
Meyer, J.P., and N.J. Allen.1991. A three-component conceptualization of organizational commitment. Human Resource Management Review1: 61-89.
41.
Meyer, J.P., N.J. Allen, and C.A. Smith.1993. Commitment to organizations and occupations: Extension and test of a three-component conceptualization. Journal of Applied Psychology78: 538-51.
42.
Meyer, J.P., D.R. Bobocel, and N.J. Allen.1991. Development of organizational commitment during the first year of employment: A longitudinal study of pre- and post-entry influences. Journal of Management17: 717-33.
43.
Meyer, J.P., and L. Herscovitch.2001. Commitment in the workplace: Toward a general model. Human Resource Management Review11: 299-326.
44.
Meyer, J.P., D.J. Stanley, L. Herscovitch, and L. Topolnytsky.2002. Affective, continuance, and normative commitment to the organization: A meta-analysis of antecedents, correlates, and consequences. Journal of Vocational Behavior61: 20-52.
45.
Mowday, R.T.1998. Reflection on the study and relevance of organizational commitment. Human Resource Management Review8: 387-401.
46.
O’Driscoll, M.P., and D.M. Randall.1999. Perceived organizational support, satisfaction with rewards, and employee job involvement and organizational commitment. Applied Psychology: An International Review48: 197-209.
47.
Pearce, J.L.1993. Toward an organizational behavior of contract laborers: Their psychological involvement and effects on employee co-workers. Academy of Management Journal36: 1082-96.
48.
Pink, B.2005. Household labour force survey June 2005 quarter - Media release. www.2.stats.govt.nz/domino/external/pasfull/pasfull.nsf/web/Media+Release+Household+Labour+Force+Survey+June+2005+quarter?open (accessed 5 October 2005).
49.
Polivka, A.E., and T. Nardone.1989. On the definition of contingent work . Monthly Labor Review112(4): 9-16.
50.
Porter, G.1995. Attitude differences between regular and contract employees of nursing departments. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Academy of Management, Vancouver .
51.
Redman, T., and E. Snape.2005. Unpacking commitment: Multiple loyalties and employee behavior. Journal of Management Studies4: 301-28.
52.
Reilly, P.A.1998. Balancing flexibility: Meeting the interests of employer and employee. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology7: 7-22.
53.
Rhoades, L., R. Eisenberger, and S. Armeli.2001. Affective commitment to the organization: The contribution of perceived organizational support. Journal of Applied Psychology86: 825-36.
54.
Rousseau, D.M., and K.A. Wade-Benzoni .1995. Changing individual-organization attachments: A two way street. In The changing nature of work , ed. A. Howard, 290-322. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
55.
Schalm R.L., and E.K. Kelloway.2001. The relationship between response rate and effect size in occupational health psychology research. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology6: 160-3.
56.
Shore, L.M., and S.J. Wayne.1993. Commitment and employee behavior: Comparison of affective commitment and continuance commitment with perceived organizational support. Journal of Applied Psychology78: 774-80.
57.
Sverke, M., D.G. Gallagher, and J. Hellgren.2000. Alternative work arrangements: Job stress, well-being and pro-organizational attitudes among employees with different employment contracts. In Health effects of the new labor market , eds K. Isaksson, C. Hogstedt, C. Eriksson, and T. Theorell, 145-67. New York: Plenum.
58.
Tansky, J.W., D.G. Gallagher, and K.W. Wetzel.1995. The changing nature of the employment contract: The impact of part-time workers on the health care industry. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Academy of Management , Vancouver.
59.
Thornthwaite, L.2004. Working time and work-family balance: A review of employees’ preferences. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources42(2): 166-84.
60.
Van Breugel, G., W. Van Olffen, and R. Olie.2005. Temporary liaisons: The commitment of ‘temps’ towards their agencies. Journal of Management Studies42: 539-66.
61.
Van Dyne, L., and S. Ang.1998. Organizational citizenship behavior of contingent workers in Singapore. Academy of Management Journal41: 692-703.
62.
Walsh, J., and S. Deery.2006. Refashioning organizational boundaries: Outsourcing customer service work. Journal of Management Studies43: 557-82.
63.
Wayne, S.J., L.M. Shore, and R.C. Liden.1997. Perceived organizational support and leader-member exchange: A social exchange perspective. Academy of Management Journal40: 82-111.
64.
Wright, P.M., and R.R. Kehoe.2008. Human resource practices and organizational commitment: A deeper examination. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources46(1): 6-20.
