Examination of the relationship between individual values and level of organizational commitment among military hospital employees

Hospitals are service producing organizations. As in all organizations hospitals seek to satisfy the needs and expectations of internal and external customers. In order to achieve the organization?s goals, they also try to improve organizational commitment of their employees. Improving the organizational commitment of employees requires a good understanding of individual values. This study focused on examining the relationship of individual?s values and level of organizational commitment among the military hospital employees in Turkey. Military hospitals employees make up the study population. Sample of employees drawn from military hospitals provided data to answer three research questions:1. Is there a statistically significant relationship between individual values and organizational commitment level of military hospital employees?2. Is there a statistically significant relationship between the individual characteristics and individual values of military hospital employees?3. Is there a statistically significant relationship between the individual characteristics and organizational commitment of military hospital employees?To measure individual values and organizational commitment of military hospital employees Schwartz?s (1994a) individual values scale and organizational commitment scale developed by Meyer and Allen (1997) were administered to 512 employees. To test 28 hypotheses developed for the study one way ANOVA and linear regression methods were employed.Results of the analysis indicated that relationships exist between conservative values, normative and affective organizational commitment. Likewise, security-universal values and normative organizational commitment show statistically significant relationship. In terms of employees individual characteristics such as sex, marital status, educational attainment, and occupational status are found to be related to individual values. Finally, relationships were observed between age, educational attainment, occupational status, position in the hierarchy and organizational commitment.Key Words: Values, individual values, , hospital employees, military hospitals, Schwartz?s Values Inventory, Meyer and Allen?s Commitment Scale , values types, dimensions of commitment.