Organizational Commitment and Job Satisfaction:A Study on the Two Generations of the Russian Employees

Abstract

The paper presents the analysis of differences in affective, normative and continuance commitment between generation X and Y employees. The sample consisted of 174 respondents (70% representing generation Y) working for the companies based in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Survey methods included a short version of Organizational commitment scale (D. Meyer and N. Allen), foursubscales of the “Diagnostic of job satisfaction” (T. Y. Ivanova, E. I. Rasskazova and E. N. Osin), and three subscales of the “Job Diagnostic Survey” (R. Hackman and G. Oldham, adapted by I. N. Bondarenko). Student’s t-test, Mann-Whitney U-test and correlational analysis were employed to analyze the data. Findings indicate that generation Y employees rate their normative and continuance commitment lower than generation X. No statistically significant differences in affective commitment were found. Both generations are least satisfied with their salaries, and most satisfied with their knowledge of the resultsof their work. Apart from pay satisfaction, all components of commitment correlated strongly with supervision satisfaction in the case of generation Y employees, and with experienced meaningfulness from work – in the case of generation X. Findings suggest that the companies facing the problem of retaining generation Y employees can be advised to channel their efforts into the development of the normative commitment.