COMMITMENT TO THE PROFESSION: A STUDY IN A UNIVERSITY IN THE STATE OF MINAS GERAIS

• Autor(a) principal: L. Cançado, Vera
• Data de Publicação: 2013
• Outros Autores: Genelhu, Patrícia, Renault de Moraes, Lúcio Flávio
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: REAd (Porto Alegre. Online)
• Texto Completo: https://seer.ufrgs.br/index.php/read/article/view/39908
• topic: Comprometimento organizacional; comprometimento com a profissão; comprometimento com a carreira; Universidade; professor universitário; Organizational commitment; professional commitment; commitment with career; university; teacher

Research on organizational commitment until the 1980s was predominantly centered in individuals-organizational bonds. Currently, however, to face the new work relations forms, in particular, multiple-bond relations, studies on commitment to career (or professions) began to stand out. This article considers the concept of organizational commitment as the individual-organization bonds, as based on three psychological components: the desire (affective), the need (continuance) and the moral compliance (normative). The professional commitment is understood here as an aptitude or a relationship of the individual and his/her own vocation or profession, being positively related to professional competence development and negatively related to intention of abandoning career/profession. Based on these concepts and assumptions, this paper aims to identify and analyze the level and kind of commitment established between the “Alpha” University, located in the country region of the State of Minas Gerais and their teachers. Empirical research and data collection were carried out through documental analysis, observation, semi-structured interviews with course coordinators of this unit and the application of 88 questionnaires to a population of 111 teachers. The results point out that the teacher is more committed to his/her profession than to the institution. Despite more intensive professional commitment, some aspects in organizational commitment also seemed do be influential, being predominant the focus on the affective component. Evidence was found that the loyalty bond and personal dedication to “Alpha” University were predicted by the variables ‘the possibility of career development’ and ‘the professional progress’. Professional commitment was predicted by variables such as ‘personal interest on developed activities’ and ‘entrance on “Alpha” University increases possibilities of working in other higher education institutions’. Whereas, predictors of organizational commitment were variables, such as, ‘organization influence’, ‘possibility of career development’, ‘facility of entrance in the institution’, ‘employment protection’, ‘participation in decision-making processes’ and ‘degree of autonomy’. Thus, to strengthen the bonds between the teachers and the institution, it is necessary to be attentive to those demands and needs. Moreover, as it was evidenced that professional commitment tends to be more intense, the institution, beyond the already offered conditions, may also create new mechanisms to stimulate academic performance, reinforcing his/her commitment to the institution.