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Work orientations are compared in six Western countries, using data from the International Social Survey Program (ISSP). The main issue in the paper is whether different ‘production regimes’ correspond to levels and patterns of employment commitment and organizational commitment among the working population. It is concluded that the level of employment commitment varies with production regime, being highest in the Scandinavian countries and lowest in the liberal market economies. Organizational commitment varies in a more complex manner, with the strongest commitment found in the USA and the lowest in Sweden. Group differences in commitment display a mixed pattern, with little systematic variation between production regimes.

The connection between work environment and organizational commitment (OC) is investigated and compared across six western countries, using data from the 1997International Social Survey Program (ISSP). Differences in work environment are examined on two levels: (1) with reference to theoretical literature and empirical findings in comparative research and (2) with reference to how individuals perceive their workplace situation in relation to their personal evaluations of different workplace features (person-environment fit). Although no connection between work environment and OC is found when countries are compared on the basis of literature on the differences in the organization of production, the connection proves to be salient with respect to individual and group levels. The result suggests that the most important factor for OC in all countries is a job that the individual finds interesting. A control for job satisfaction makes it clear that the effect of finding the work interesting is independent of satisfaction with work. Other similarities and differences between the countries are also identified and discussed. New avenues for further comparative research are suggested.

This study compares organizational commitment in six western countries: USA, Great Britain, New Zealand, Germany, Norway, and Sweden. The main focus is on the hypothesized existence of conflicting values due to different systems of norms. The assumption made is that the central norms, values, and expectations in any particular work organization, originate in a more general technical/economic system of norms; and that subordinated groups, supporters of left-wing values, those identifying with lower social classes, and union members all espouse other systems of norms, which are not entirely compatible with this technical/economic system, and that these groups are therefore likely to display lower organizational commitment than other groups. The results in this paper do suggest the existence of conflicting norms and that this has implications for organizational commitment. The most noteworthy finding is that organizational commitment correlates with right-wing political values in five of the six countries. Other similarities and differences between the countries are also identified and discussed, and new avenues for further comparative research are suggested.

The main question this paper seeks to tackle is whether men and women, as some argue, commit themselves to employment differently or for different reasons. The focus is thus on the mechanisms behind non-financial employment commitment (such as the possible effect of family situation, occupational position, and of different work-related preferences and experiences). The question is comparatively investigated in Sweden and Great Britain, where, in spite of many similarities, the existence of different societal/cultural contexts with relevance for gender and work has been suggested. The results in this paper suggest that the most important motivator for non-financial employment commitment is interesting work, which was found to have a positive effect both as a work goal and as experienced in the workplace. Although women and men in both countries displayed quite similar patterns, some country and gender differences appeared in the way occupational position and degree of education relate to this type of commitment. Higher occupational position and education where more clearly related to higher degrees of commitment for British women than for British men, while the Swedish gender pattern was reversed. In the concluding discussion, possible explanations and implications are discussed, and avenues for further research are suggested.