Translated from the original in Spanish

Original article

Organizational commitment in university professors for job performance in virtual environments

El compromiso organizacional en docentes universitarios para el desempeño laboral en entornos virtuales

Comprometimento organizacional em professores universitários para o desempenho no trabalho em ambientes virtuais

Jorge Antonio Gonzales Miranda¹https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6459-8804
Edith Geovana Collazos Roque¹https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8240-4281
Aram Roosell Simangas Villalobos¹https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3326-3953
María Ysabel Álvarez Huari¹https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7831-8591

¹Norbert Wiener Private University. Peru. jorge.gonzales@uwiener.edu.pe; edith.collazos@uwiener.edu.pe; aram.simangas@uwiener.edu.pe; maria.alvarez@uwiener.edu.pe

Received: June 28, 2023
Accepted: January 31, 2024

ABSTRACT

The study was developed in the virtual context considering the greater needs and demands in the work of university teachers, taking into account that the management of teaching staff, the culture of teamwork, as well as the factors associated with organizational commitment have an impact on work performance and educational quality. The research determined the differences regarding the levels of organizational commitment in virtual environments according to the work status of teachers at a private university in Lima, Peru. We worked under a quantitative approach, basic study type, descriptive non-experimental design, with a sample of full-time teachers, the instrument used was the Organizational Commitment Questionnaire, consisting of items with a Likert scale response with five response alternatives and three dimensions: affective, normative and continuity. The results showed that the majority of hired and regular teachers have a regular level of commitment to the organization, so it is concluded that the level of commitment can affect the achievement of goals, plans and institutional projects that are planned annually, as well as the teaching performance, these results will be used by researchers and authorities in decision making.

Keywords: organizational commitment; affective; normative; continuity; full-time teacher.

RESUMEN

El estudio se desarrolló en el contexto virtual, al considerar las mayores necesidades y exigencias en la labor del docente universitario, teniendo en cuenta que la gestión del personal docente, la cultura de trabajo en equipo, así como los factores asociados al compromiso organizacional impactan en el desempeño laboral y en la calidad educativa. La investigación determinó las diferencias respecto a los niveles de compromiso organizacional en entornos virtuales, en función de la condición laboral en docentes de una Universidad Privada en Lima, Perú. Se trabajó bajo el enfoque cuantitativo, tipo de estudio básico, diseño no experimental de carácter descriptivo, con una muestra conformada por docentes a tiempo completo y el instrumento utilizado fue el Cuestionario de Compromiso Organizacional, constituido por ítems con respuesta de escala de Likert con cinco alternativas de respuesta y tres dimensiones: afectivo, normativo y continuidad. Los resultados demostraron que la mayoría de los docentes contratados y ordinarios poseen un nivel regular de compromiso con la organización, por lo que se concluye que el nivel de compromiso puede afectar el logro de metas, planes y proyectos institucionales que se planifican anualmente, así como el desempeño docente. Estos resultados serán utilizados por investigadores y autoridades en la toma de decisiones.

Palabras clave: compromiso organizacional; afectivo; normativo; continuidad; docente a tiempo completo.

RESUMO

O estudo foi desenvolvido no contexto virtual ao considerar as maiores necessidades e demandas no trabalho do professor universitário, levando em consideração que a gestão do corpo docente, a cultura do trabalho em equipe, bem como os fatores associados ao comprometimento organizacional impactam no desempenho do trabalho e na qualidade educacional. A pesquisa determinou as diferenças em relação aos níveis de comprometimento organizacional em ambientes virtuais com base na situação de trabalho dos professores de uma Universidade Privada em Lima, Peru. Trabalhamos sob a abordagem quantitativa, tipo de estudo básico, delineamento não experimental de natureza descritiva, com uma amostra composta por professores em tempo integral, o instrumento utilizado foi o Questionário de Comprometimento Organizacional, composto por itens com resposta em escala Likert com cinco alternativas de resposta e três dimensões: afetiva, normativa e continuidade. Os resultados mostraram que a maioria dos professores contratados e regulares tem um nível regular de comprometimento com a organização, portanto conclui-se que o nível de comprometimento pode afetar o alcance das metas, planos e projetos institucionais que são planejados anualmente, bem como para desempenho docente, esses resultados serão utilizados por pesquisadores e autoridades na tomada de decisões.

Palavras-chave: comprometimento organizacional; afetivo; normativo; continuidade; professor em tempo integral.

INTRODUCTION

Organizational commitment is an important aspect within public or private institutions, as it allows the people involved to carry out more efficient work and in a context of virtuality, where the control of tasks, activities and responsibilities is limited, which is why it is required of trust between teams and organizations, as noted by the International Labor Organization (2020). Consequently, it is essential to identify the working conditions of the actors in an organization, since to the extent that there is adequate commitment, the established goals will be met within any context. Organizational commitment constitutes the employee's concern for the company and vice versa; From this it follows that commitment is an essential factor, since it is the employee who cares about the development of the institution in which he works, as stated by Coronado (2020). This factor, focused on the university environment, will allow teachers to actively get involved in the designated tasks and activities that they must develop to achieve institutional objectives.

Since the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, teleworking or remote work became an alternative for fulfilling functions; Therefore, the commitment of university professors with their respective organizations was required, even more so of teachers who have continuity, such as the case of regular teachers, that is, those who have started a career line in the institution and have the category of assistants, associates or principals, as well as those hired, who have the status of full-time teachers. In any case, under the remote work modality there are new demands and work demands that must be assumed responsibly and quickly. The predisposition to carry out activities correctly is influenced by the commitment perceived by teachers. In this regard, Mosquera et al., (2021) point out that this reality has worsened due to social isolation due to COVID-19; As a result of the pandemic, the demands on administrative teaching staff have intensified, which inevitably impacts their performance. Thus, Orozco et al., (2022) suggests that the teacher's expectations about their development in the institution, as well as their interactions at a socio-affective and spiritual level with the work context, are factors that partially influence their connection with the educational organization.

Regarding the background, Marín (2018) carried out research in Ecuador, in which the results obtained determined that what teachers like most about the work environment is the quality of interpersonal relationships based on camaraderie; In general, the work environment is excellent while organizational commitment is above average, which is an acceptable range. On the other hand, Fabián (2019) points out that there is no significant relationship between organizational commitment and type of worker contract; However, it is observed that workers with a stable contract have a higher score compared to those with an unstable contract. It follows that, regardless of the type of contract, the commitment may be governed by other factors. Cori et al. (2019) in their study concludes that there is a direct and highly significant correlation between human talent management and organizational commitment in the perception of university teachers. In this regard, it is inferred that organizational commitment is closely related to the management of human talent.

With respect to the theoretical framework, commitment is considered a variable influenced by management in the organizational and administrative dimension, in which the protective factor is the organizational one that affects educational quality (Bejarano et al., 2022; Fonseca et al., 2019). Pedraza (2020) defines organizational commitment as a form of bond which is not only estimated to reflect job satisfaction, but goes further: it would be showing that employees feel part of the institution and, therefore, are committed to the achievement of organizational objectives. In this regard, the importance of carrying out studies in relation to organizational commitment is deduced if you want to grow as an institution. The study by Genari (2022) identifies that appropriate management practices have a positive impact on the three dimensions of organizational commitment, such as: affective, normative and continuity. While Setiawan et al., (2021) show in data the influence of these dimensions on job satisfaction and performance. Therefore, it is necessary to specify that we have chosen to review the three components of the three-dimensional model of organizational commitment proposed by Meyer and Allen (1991), who point out that commitment in an organization is composed of these dimensions: affective, continuity and normative. In this way, the nature of the commitment is, respectively, the desire, the need or the duty to remain in the organization.

The first dimension: affective commitment, is based on the employee's desire to continue being part of the institution, and represents the emotional ties to the organization. This reflects the emotional attachment when perceiving the satisfaction of needs, both psychological and material, in addition to the fulfillment of their work expectations. Employees with this type of commitment feel proud to be part of the organization and communicate this in praise to others. An emotional bond is fostered in relation to the organization through experiences in the work environment, having achieved satisfaction of their expectations and interests. It is known that employees who are satisfied with the organization, care for and value their work, strive to stand out for their performance and consider the company's interests as their own. If they have to leave their job for reasons beyond their control, they feel very helpless. The second dimension considered is continuity commitment, referring to the extent to which the employee feels linked to the organization according to the time invested and effort put into the work; given that, after a considerable time, leaving would mean losing everything. On the other hand, the employee perceives that their opportunities outside the company are reduced due to different factors such as age, which increases their attachment to the organization. Finally, the third dimension is normative commitment, which is the belief in loyalty to the organization on the part of the employee, in a very high moral sense, in some way as consideration perhaps for receiving certain benefits; for example, due to the free training opportunities the company provides.

The importance of the present study lies in the theoretical contributions of the organizational commitment variable. The results obtained become a source of valuable information for the Human Talent Management Area of Universities, motivating the design of intervention programs that strengthen the organizational commitment of university teachers in virtual spaces.

From a methodological point of view, the study highlights the importance of instruments to collect truthful and reliable information regarding the variables work environment and organizational commitment, since they are related to the dimensions established by theorists. Likewise, these have been validated by expert judgment and subjected to reliability testing; Therefore, the two instruments can be used in future research related to the two study variables.

Finally, the results obtained in this academic product will be of great help to the Human Talent Management Area of the universities, so that intervention programs, workshops and talks on emotional support, institutional identity that favor the work environment in a positive and organizational commitment in virtual spaces, because this new modality of work requires certain criteria, regulations and attitudes of the teaching staff for its development, which must be aligned with the personal objectives of the full-time teachers with the institutional goals.

Therefore, the objective of this study is to analyze the levels of organizational commitment in virtual environments associated with the working condition of teachers at a Private University in Lima, Peru, for decision-making and execution of actions in this new modality of work. . In addition, three specific objectives were derived in which the differences are determined with respect to the levels of the dimensions of organizational commitment: affective, normative and continuity commitment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The research was developed under the quantitative approach, which focuses on the collection and interpretation of data on the study variable; Furthermore, the type of research is basic and the design is non-experimental of a comparative descriptive nature, the essence of which is to analyze two or more groups using statistical techniques, which is why mixed analysis techniques have been considered.

The population was made up of 252 full-time teachers from a private university in Lima, whose non-probabilistic and convenience sample is made up of 50 teachers. For its selection, the following criteria were considered: being a university teacher from a private entity, that their employment status is full-time, that they be part of the General Studies Academic Unit, in addition to their work being in virtual environments and that they have also agreed to be part of the study through informed consent.

To collect the information, the instrument was used: Meyer & Allen's Organizational Commitment Questionnaire (1991), which measured the level of organizational commitment of university teachers, which is made up of three dimensions: affective, normative, and continuity; with 18 items whose Likert scale response has five response alternatives. The interpretation scale considers a minimum score of 18 and a maximum score of 90, so we worked with three levels: high, medium and low. Regarding reliability, Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used in which an average of 0.875 was obtained, an indicator of high reliability. Furthermore, content validity was developed under the analysis of expert judgments who determined that the instrument measures the organizational commitment variable.

With respect to ethical aspects, permission was requested from the University authorities to collect the information and informed consent was applied, and the information collected was fully respected, without making changes or modifications, which were only used for the developed research.

RESULTS

Organizational commitment is an element of concern for an organization, even more so in the context of virtuality; That is why organizations have paid attention to creating spaces conducive to work. Teleworking during the pandemic allowed us to develop new forms of relationships with the organization that are important to observe in the state of that commitment to the company. That is why, the information analyzed on the organizational commitment of university teachers is a function of their employment status.

Table 1 identified the sociodemographic characteristics of the analyzed sample, and it is highlighted that, in relation to age, there is a greater proportion of teachers between the ages of 44 and 53, as well as the presence of women who represent the 62%, while men are 38% of the sample. On the other hand, with respect to the comparative factor, 64% of teachers are hired; That is, those who have a periodic renewal of their contract represent the majority in the sample, while those who have greater security in their continuity due to the condition of broad contracts, are 36% of the total. It was also highlighted that the majority of teachers, regardless of their condition, have relative continuity, since their years at the university are between 3 and more than 5 years, which constitute 86%, while only 14% have less. 2 years.

Table 1- Sample characteristics

In Figure 1, the results showed that the majority of contract (81.30%) and regular (77.8%) teachers have a regular level of commitment to the organization, and that the majority of the data was distributed between the regular and good level. . It is also important to note the difference in the regular and good levels in favor of contracted teachers, which allowed us to see that there is a greater proportion of contracted teachers with organizational commitment compared to regular teachers, with a difference of 3.5% for the regular level and 6.9%. % at the good level of commitment. This finding offers a panorama of much reflection, given that ordinary teachers have greater continuity at the university and have administrative tasks that are important for the company.

Fig. 1- Level of organizational commitment depending on teaching job status

Likewise, in table 2, the results showed that the level of affective commitment is concentrated at the regular level for both types of working conditions, but the difference between contracted and ordinary teachers was highlighted in favor of the former, where seven All 32 expressed a good emotional commitment, which denotes the bond with the institution for which they work; Likewise, it should be noted that, of all the teachers surveyed, only two present the level of bad.

Table 2- Contingency table of the Level of Affective Commitment depending on employment status

Regarding the level of normative commitment shown in table 3, it was found that there is a greater sample concentration of contracted teachers (38%), who have a regular level of this commitment, as well as in ordinary teachers who represented 26%. , which is to some extent favorable to the organization. However, it is also necessary to emphasize that nine (18%) of the hired teachers presented a poor level of normative commitment, being one of the dimensions in which a greater negative concentration is found in the levels of commitment.

Table 3- Contingency table of the Level of Regulatory Commitment depending on the employment condition

Finally, in Table 4, the findings showed that in the Continuity Commitment, the hired teachers demonstrated a greater proportion at the good level of continuity commitment (42%); It was also highlighted that only 4% of the total sample obtained a bad level in continuity commitment and that between the regular and good level there is 96%.

Table 4- Contingency table of the Level of Continuity Commitment depending on the employment condition

This information made it possible to highlight the value of the organization in terms of work for teachers, revealing an appreciation of the time and effort invested by them towards the organization, which generates an expectation of recognition of their work and the consideration of continuity in the organization to the one who works.

DISCUSSION

In response to the general objective of the study, organizational commitment in contract and regular teachers is between a fair and good level, information that confirms the conclusions of Cori et al., (2019), and which coincides with the findings of Fabián (2019) for organizational commitment. It is also worth emphasizing that there is a positive trend in contracted teachers and regular teachers, which affects the quality of performance and achievement of academic goals; Consequently, if the commitment of teachers is not at a good level, this affects the tasks assigned as management responsibility, which could define the performance of the university teacher and produce a negative impact on the educational service (Setiawan et al., 2021).

In relation to the specific objectives, there is also a better level of affective and continuity commitment in the organization, since the results of the majority of teachers are between the regular and good level, which denotes the relationship affinity of teachers with the organization, in addition to the expectation of maintaining the employment relationship. Furthermore, affective commitment is one of the dimensions that concentrates the largest amount of the sample (96%) located between fair and good, which coincides with what was expressed by Orozco et al., (2022), who points out that the affective dimension is the one that shows the best results, among the three dimensions studied. This information is valuable, even more so because it is sensitive to the human relationships within the organization, affecting the emotional state of teachers; It can even have a negative effect, increasing the conflict of being at a bad level (Barría et al., 2021).

On the other hand, for normative commitment, teachers show little affinity with institutional guidelines (26%) of the total sample, which harms the levels of responsibility and non-compliance in the organization. Let us remember that this type of commitment is associated with knowledge of the organization, which could explain the results obtained by hired teachers (9), given that a new or hired teacher, with fewer tasks of responsibility, usually knows less about the organization. The above is relevant, since this dimension exposes loyalty to institutional guidelines, as well as values, duty and compliance (Bejarano et al., 2022). Furthermore, the organization studied must pay attention to this dimension analyzed. Faced with this evaluated scenario, whose trend is positive, it should be emphasized that it is important to detect gradual exhaustion early, as Pyhaltö, et al., (2020) will demonstrate, and in this way avoid a decline in commitment. Although it is also necessary to consider the investigative scope of Pacovilca et al. (2019) in which it is pointed out that the commitment to continuity is related to the value of the economic income obtained in their work, given that it is a high income or the only one in their homes, even more so in a period as critical as that of the health emergency. These results offer us the opportunity to recognize the value of commitment to achieve institutional objectives.

Organizational commitment is an essential factor to consider in every institution, due to the direct impact on the performance of its members. Likewise, the organizational commitment analyzed in the contracted and ordinary teachers of this study is between a regular and good level, so it is concluded that this reality, within the virtual context, is acceptable and has a positive impact on educational performance and quality. which benefits teachers and higher-level students of a Private University in Lima, Peru.

Finally, it is expected that the results obtained in the research will motivate university managers to develop organizational strategies that enhance innovation, affective communication, recognition, and the active and committed participation of teachers and other workers. These actions will allow for greater staff performance and, consequently, quality education for all students.

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Conflict of interests:

The authors declare not to have any interest conflicts.

Authors' contribution:

The authors participated in the design and writing of the article, in the search and analysis of the information contained in the consulted bibliography.

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