The association of affective and continuance commitment with correctional staff life satisfaction

Abstract

Previous research suggests that life satisfaction is a stronger predictor of job performance than job satisfaction, and life satisfaction is negatively associated with absenteeism and a desire to retire early. Despite the fact that employees with high life satisfaction are essential for organizations’ optimal efficiency, little empirical research exists to determine the individual and workplace factors that shape and maintain high correctional staff life satisfaction levels. This study investigates the impact of two types of organizational commitment, continuance and affective, on correctional staff life satisfaction at two Midwestern prisons, one private and one public. Continuance commitment was negatively related and affective commitment was positively related with life satisfaction for staff in both prisons. Possible methods to increase affective commitment and life satisfaction for correctional staff are discussed.

Keywords:

• Correctional staff
• Organizational commitment
• Life satisfaction

Notes

1 Both surveys measured a wide array of areas concerning the perceptions, views, attitudes, intentions, and behaviors of employees. The survey at the public prison was part of a larger study examining the effectiveness of an inmate cognitive treatment program and how staff viewed inmates and treatment. Part of this larger study included a survey of how staff perceived their working conditions. This survey had approximately 220 questions. The survey at the private prison was part of a larger study to see how the staff perceived the work environment, and was done in part to see if staff members at a private prison differed in their perceptions from the public prison staff. This survey had about 225 questions. Only items dealing with personal characteristics, organizational commitment, and life satisfaction are used in this study. Because of the wealth of information from the survey, other studies have been conducted using different parts of the survey. The full citations of these studies are available upon request. None of these previous studies examined the relationship of both continuance and affective commitment with life satisfaction among correctional staff. Public prison staff had the survey packet placed in their mailboxes, and private prison staff received the survey packet with their paychecks. To participate, staff had to turn in one half of the raffle ticket, regardless of whether or not they completed the survey. The raffle tickets were removed and separated from the surveys so it was impossible to link a survey with a specific staff member. A drawing was held at an employee function with a total of $500 awarded for each survey. Unclaimed cash prizes were donated to the employee association fund of the respective prison. While not testable, the raffle almost certainly increased the response rate. Staff returned the surveys either using a locked box, which only one of the researchers had access or a stamped return mailing envelope addressed to one of the researchers.