The Impact of Managerial Credibility on Affective Organizational Commitment: An Empirical Study in the Sport Sector of Iran

Abstract

The paper aims to study the impact of credibility of manager on employees’ affective commitment. Data were collected using a questionnaire including managerial credibility and affective commitment measures. A sample of 212employeesfrom a number of organizations operating in the sport sector of Iran was used. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and a linear regression analysis were used to test the relationship between managerial credibility and affective commitment. In addition, ANOVA analysis was used to determine the effect of demographic characteristics on perceptions of manager credibility. The findings indicated that the relationship between and affective commitment is positive and significant. Moreover, when people perceive manager credibility, they feel more affectively attached to their organizations, experience a sense of obligation/loyalty towards them, and feel less instrumentally committed. Sampling was one of the limitations identified in this study. The fact that convenience sampling was used meant that results were not immediately transferable to the general working population. If samples were drawn from a wider range of demographics, then the results become more meaningful. By utilizing credibility, managers can promote affective organizational commitment and, thus, individual and organizational performance. It allows them to experience senses of purpose, self-determination, enjoyment and belonging. The paper contributes by filling a gap in the organization and management literature, in which empirical studies on managerial credibility as an antecedent of affective organizational commitment have been scarce until now.

Key words: Credibility; Affective commitment; Employee