Sistema de comprometimentos e suas relações com o desempenho e o comportamento de voz pró-social: um estudo com docentes universitários

Abstract

Studying the influence of multiple work commitments on the performance and voice behavior of employees remains a theoretical and empirical challenge in the field of organizational behavior. Current studies approach commitment in isolation, without considering the dynamic interrelationships between them. This research seeks to fill this gap by exploring how these connections are structured systemically using the concepts of the Commitment Systems Theory and Psychological Network Analysis techniques. The main objective of this thesis is to examine how university professors' multiple commitments to teaching, research, extension, and management activities (action commitments), as well as their emotional attachment to the university (organizational commitment), are articulated in a system of commitments and their potential impacts on job performance and the expression of pro-social voice behavior in both public and private universities. The participating professors answered a questionnaire containing a set of psychometrically valid scales. The data analysis was carried out using the statistical software JASP 017.2.1 and Gephi-0.10.1. Mean comparison tests between groups (T-test and ANOVA), cluster analysis, correlations, multiple linear regression, moderation analysis, and psychological network analysis were used. The sample for this research was non-probabilistic, with 416 participating professors. The age range of the participants was from 27 to 75 years (MD = 47.65; SD = 10.46), and the majority of participants were female (59.13%). Based on the cluster analysis, eight profiles of commitment to teaching activities were identified and interpreted, labeled as follows: 1. More Committed, 2. Less Committed, 3. Extensionist, 4. Non-Researcher, 5. Manager, 6. Researcher, 7. Researcher-Extensionist Non-Manager, and 8. Researcher-Manager Non-Extensionist. The Profiles "1. More Committed" and "7. Researcher-Extensionist Non-Manager" showed the highest levels of teaching performance (MD = 4.27 and MD = 4.22). Additionally, profiles "8. Researcher-Manager Non-Extensionist" and "1. More Committed" showed the highest mean scores for management commitment (MD=5,33 e MD=5,25) and Pro-Social Voice Behavior (MD=4,12 e MD=4,14). It was found that the attachment to actions predicts job performance better than organizational commitment (17.7% > 3.6%). The emotional attachment to the university moderated the relationships between commitment to extension and extension performance, as well as the relationship between commitment to management and management performance (p < 0.005). The professor's academic title, together with their work regime, was able to predict 18.2% of research performance, while the time as a professor and the work regime predicted 9.24% of management performance. Commitment to actions predicted Pro-Social Voice Behavior better than commitment to the university (13.7% > 2.1%). Commitment to management was able to predict 17.3% of Pro-Social Voice Behavior, whereas socio-occupational variables could not explain any variance. In the network analysis, it is shown that the commitment focuses are grouped into five distinct communities, showing strong and intermediate relationships between them. Through the node sizes, it was possible to notice that the connection established with the university is smaller compared to other commitment focuses. Within the links with the actions, the commitment to teaching and research stands out as the strongest and most consolidated. On the other hand, it is perceived that the link with management is the most incipient in the network, indicating that this focus may be less developed or less interconnected with the other commitment focuses. In conclusion, the study satisfactorily fulfilled its objectives, addressing how the commitment of professors to the university and teaching activities impact performance and pro-social voice behavior. Thus, contributing to the understanding of how university professors manage their various commitments and providing a basis for further research.