Pay, organisational support and affective organisational commitment in Makerere University

Abstract

The study sought to investigate the relationship of two structural variables of pay and organisational support with staff affective organisational commitment (OC) in Makerere University. Objectives were to find out the extent to which pay and organisational support correlate with staff OC. A cross sectional survey was employed, on a target population of 1530 staff (1281 teaching and 249 non-teaching). Basing on Krejcie and Morgan Table for determining sample sizes (1970), samples of 297 & 152 respectively, were derived. Proportionate sub-samples, according to operational units (e .g.) faculty, college, etc were used. Sixty six percent of the sample randomly responded to a valid and reliable constructed instrument: r = 0.93. Findings showed that both pay and organisational support significantly and positively correlate with staff OC in this University. Staff affective organisational commitment in Makerere University, was found to be just moderate. Recommendations involved: 1. Reviewing staff salaries and allowances after convenient representations of stakeholders. 2. Democratic review of management policies on organisational support packages - pension benefits and leave, should be acted upon more viably. 3. Departments should employ more viable communication systems where prompt information can assist to lead to more accurate actions. 4. Departments should strive to boost staff’s involvement in decisions that affect them through regular and timely forums. 5. Departments should embrace and promote more friendly and cooperative tactics while managing staff affairs, to avoid being seen as coercive agencies of the University. This will increase cohesion and esteem. Future studies should be carried out on the:1. Relationship between individual variables and staff organisational commitment in Makerere University. 2. Correlation of environmental variables with staff organisational commitment in Makerere University. 3. Contribution of continuance and normative commitment to organisational commitment in Makerere University.