Abstract
The present study examined the underlying structure of the variable Institutional Commitment by testing for the convergence, or lack thereof, among different indicators of the construct as represented by three theoretical frameworks (Tinto, 1975, 1987; Bean, 1985; Huselid and Day, 1991). Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that Institutional Commitment could be decomposed into two multiple indicators of the same latent construct: a general factor that groups items related to institutional quality, practical value of an education, utility of an education, fit between student and institution, and loyalty to the institution and another factor represented by items indicating similarity of values (Affinity of Values). Moreover, the study established the predictive validity of each subcomponent on different outcomes related to student persistence. While Institutional Commitment was found to have a significant direct effect on both students' intents to persist and actual persistence behavior, Affinity of Values was not as equally predictive of measures of student retention.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Anderson, K. L., and Gerbing, D. W. (1988). Structural equation modeling in practice: A review and recommended two-step approach.Psychological Bulletin 103(3): 411–423.
Bagozzi, R. P., and Yi, Y. (1990). Assessing method variance in multitrait-multimethod matrices: The case of self-reported affect and perceptions at work.Journal of Applied Psychology 75: 547–560.
Bean, J. P. (1980). Dropouts and turnover: The synthesis and test of a causal model of student attrition.Research in Higher Education 12(2): 155–187.
Bean, J. P. (1982a). Student attrition, intentions, and confidence: Interactions effects in a path model.Research in Higher Education 17(4): 291–319.
Bean, J. P. (1982b). Conceptual models of student attrition: How theory can help the institutional researcher. In E. T. Pascarella (ed.),Studying Student Attrition (pp. 17–33). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Bean, J. P. (1983). The application of a model of turnover in work organizations to the student attrition process.Review of Higher Education 6(2): 129–148.
Bean, J. P. (1985). Interaction effects based on class level in an exploratory model of college student dropout syndrome.American Educational Research Journal 22(1): 35–64.
Bean, J. P. (1990). Why students leave: Insights from research. In D. Hossler and associates (eds.),The Strategic Management of College Enrollments (pp. 147–169). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Bean, J. P., and Metzner, B. S. (1985). A conceptual model of nontraditional undergraduate student attrition.Review of Educational Research 55(4): 485–540.
Bean, J. P., and Vesper, N. (April, 1990). Quantitative approaches to grounding theory in data: Using Lisrel to develop a local model and theory of student attrition. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association. Boston, Massachusetts.
Bentler, P. M., and Bonett, D. G. (1980). Significance tests and goodness of fit in the analysis of covariance structures.Psychological Bulletin 88: 586–606.
Bentler, P. M., and Speckart, G. (1979). Models of attitude-behavior relations.Educational Research Journal 22: 35–64.
Bentler, P. M., and Speckart, G. (1981). Attitudes “cause” behaviors: A structural equation analysis.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 40(2): 226–238.
Blau, G. J., and Boal, K. B. (1987). Conceptualizing how job involvement and organizational commitment affect turnover and absenteeism.Academy of Management Review 12: 288–300.
Blau, G. J., and Boal, K. B. (1989). Using job involvement and organizational commitment interactively to predict turnover.Journal of Management 15: 115–127.
Browne, M. W. (1982). Covariance structures. In B. M. Hawkins (ed.),Topics of Applied Multivariate Analysis (pp. 72–141). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Browne, M. W. (1984). Asymptotically distribution free methods for the analysis of covariance structures.British Journal of Mathematical and Statistical Psychology 37: 62–83.
Cabrera, A. F., Stampen, J. O., and Hansen, W. L. (1990). Exploring the effects of ability to pay on persistence in college.The Review of Higher Education 13(3): 303–336.
Cabrera, A. F., Castaneda, M. B., Nora, A., and Hengstler, D. S. (1992). The convergence between two theories of college persistence.Journal of Higher Education 63(2): 143–164.
Campbell, D., and Fiske, D. (1959). Convergent and discriminant validation by the multitrait-multimethod matrix.Psychological Bulletin 56: 81–105.
Farkas, A. J., and Tetrick, L. (1989). A three-wave longitudinal analysis of the causal ordering of satisfaction and commitment on turnover decisions.Journal of Applied Psychology 74(6): 855–868.
Getzlaf, S. B., Gordon, M. S., Kearney, K. A., and Blackwell, J. J. (1984). Two types of voluntary undergraduate attrition: Application of Tinto's model.Research in Higher Education 20: 257–267.
Hom, P. W., and Griffeth, R. W. (1991). Structural equations modeling test of a turnover theory: Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses.Journal of Applied Psychology 26(3): 350–366.
Huselid, M., and Day, N. (1991). Job involvement and turnover: A substantive and methodological analysis.Journal of Applied Psychology 76(3): 380–391.
Joreskog, K. G., and Sorbom, D. (1988).PRELIS: A Program for Multivariate Data Screening and Data Summarization (2nd edition). Mooresville, IN: Scientific Software.
Joreskog, K. G., and Sorbom, D. (1989).LISREL 7. Mooresville, IN: Scientific Software.
Long, J. S. (1983).Confirmatory Factor Analysis: A Preface to LISREL. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
Messik, S. (1989). Validity. In R. L. Linn (ed.),Educational Measurement, 3rd ed. (pp. 13–103). New York: Macmillan.
Mowday, R. T., Porter, L., and Steers, R. M. (1979). The measurement of organizational commitment.Journal of Vocational Behavior 14: 224–247.
Mulaik, S. A., James, L. R., Van Alstine, J., Bennett, N., Lind, S., and Stillwell, C. D. (1989). Evaluation of goodness of fit indices for structural equation models.Psychological Bulletin 105: 430–445.
Munro, B. (1981). Dropouts from higher education: Path analysis of a national sample.American Educational Research Journal 20: 133–141.
Nora, A. (1990). Campus-based aid programs as determinants of retention among Hispanic community college students.Journal of Higher Education, 61(3), 312–331.
Nora, A. (1987). Determinants of retention among Chicano college students: A structural model.Research in Higher Education 26: 31–59.
Pascarella, E. T., and Chapman D. (1983). A multi-institutional path analytical validation of Tinto's model of college withdrawal.American Educational Research Journal 20: 87–102.
Pascarella, E. T., and Terenzini, P. T. (1979). Interaction effects in Spady's and Tinto's conceptual models of college dropout.Sociology of Education 52: 197–210.
Pascarella, E. T., and Terenzini, P. T. (1980). Predicting freshman persistence and voluntary dropout decisions from a theoretical model.Journal of Higher Education 51: 60–75.
Pascarella, E. T., Duby, P., and Iverson, B. (1983). A test and a reconceptualization of a theoretical model of college withdrawal in a commuter institution setting.Sociology of Education 56: 88–100.
Pascarella, E. T., Terenzini, P. T., and Wolfle, L. M. (1986). Orientation to college and freshman year persistence/withdrawal decisions.Journal of Higher Education 57(2): 155–175.
Pavel, M. D., and Reiser M. (1991). Using national data bases to examine minority student success in higher education. In C. S. Lenth (ed.), Using national data bases (pp 5–20).New Directions for Institutional Research, No. 69. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Pierce, J. L., and Dunham, R. B. (1987). Organizational commitment: Pre-employment propensity and initial work experiences.Journal of Management 13: 163–178.
Price, J. L. (1972).Handbook of Organizational Measurement. Lexington, MA: Heath.
Stage, F. K. (1989). Reciprocal effects between the academic and social integration of college.Research in Higher Education 30(5): 517–530.
Satorra, A., and Saris, W. E. (1985). The power of the likelihood ratio test in covariance structure analysis.Psychometrika 50: 83–90.
Thacker, J. W., Fields, M. W., and Tetrick, L. (1989). The factor structure of union commitment: An application of confirmatory factor analysis.Journal of Applied Psychology 74(2): 228–232.
Tinto, V. (1975). Dropout from higher education: A theoretical synthesis of recent research.Review of Educational Research 45: 89–125.
Tinto, V. (1987).Leaving College: Rethinking the Causes and Cures of Student Attrition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Williams, P. D., and Stage, F. K. (November 1989). Student choice, academic experience and success in college. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for the Study of Higher Education. Atlanta, GA.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Paper presented before the 1991 ASHE Annual Meeting. Boston, Massachusetts.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Nora, A., Cabrera, A.F. The construct validity of Institutional Commitment: A confirmatory factor analysis. Res High Educ 34, 243–262 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00992164
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00992164