Determinants of Organizational Commitment among Academics of HEIs: The Buffering Role of Coworker Support
The significance of retaining committed staff is a main focus in contemporary literature in higher education. This study seeks to address issues related to lower employee commitment through a Social Exchange Theory Lens to explore the buffering role of co-worker support on the relationship between Supervisory Support (SS), Organizational Climate (OCL) and commitment HEIs in the Public Sector Pakistan. A quantitative and cross approach to survey was adopted as a survey technique by 366 respondents using a proportionately stratified random sampling method. The research theoretically argues and empirically shows that SS and OCL have a direct relationship with organizational commitment in the public sector HEIs. The findings suggest the significant role of SS, the organizational climate and the commitment to higher learning in the public sector. In addition, the findings confirm the hypothesis regarding the buffering effect of co-workers' help in the relationship between SS, OCL and organizational commitment. The main contribution concerns the implementation of co-worker support as a moderator between the relationship SS, OCL and the OC. The study also leads to a better understanding of the mechanisms of the organizational commitment seen in HEIs with regard to the buffering role of co-worker support in the Pakistani context.