Ethical climate influences on employee commitment through job satisfaction in a transport sector industry

This study examined the extent to which an ethical climate moderates the relationship between job satisfaction and perceptions of organisational commitment . The study sample consisted of 839 employees of a railway organisation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) (women = 32%) . Perceptions of the organisation’s ethical climate were measured using the Ethical Climate Questionnaire (Victor & Cullen, 1998), job satisfaction was measured using the Job Satisfaction Questionnaire (Lock, 1976), and organisational commitment was measured using the Organisational Commitment Scale (Meyer & Allen, 1997) . Data were analysed by applying hierarchical moderator regression analysis to predict employee commitment from job satisfaction, in interaction with the ethical climate . The findings indicated that the ethical climate dimensions of caring, law and code, rule, independence, and instrumental predicted 72% of the variance in job satisfaction and 73% of the variance in employee commitment . Positive perceptions of an ethical work atmosphere and clear code of conduct would enhance employees’ levels of dedication, loyalty, and commitment to the organisation .