”Jag vill ju göra det här för min framtid, men samtidigt vill jag att det ska gå bra för organisationen” HRM-strategier för att utveckla deltidsanställda studenters organisationsengagemang

Abstract

An increasingly globalized and competitive world, forces organizations to develop strategies and methods to streamline operations with the ambition to generate higher profitability. In this ongoing process, the HR function is vital. HR can increase the productivity of the organizations' employees by developing their organizational commitment through HRM strategies such as learning and development, compensation and benefits or various socialization processes. The aim of the study is to map and describe part-time employed university students' organizational commitment and to highlight specific strategies HR can use to influence and develop their organizational commitment. Organizational commitment is defined as "... a psychological state that binds the individual to the organization (i.e., makes turnover less likely)" (Allen & Meyer 1990:14). Previous research shows that employees with high organizational commitment show higher productivity (Osa & Amos 2014) and work performance (Memari, Mahdieh & Marnani 2013). High organizational commitment also predicts low staff turnover (Cohen 1993; Wasti 2003; Yousaf, Sanders & Abbas 2015), which can be linked to further beneficial effects such as lower inclination to experience stress at work (Cicei 2012) and lower absence (Woods, Poole & Zibarras 2012). The study was conducted through a qualitative analysis based on empirical material collected through nine semistructured interviews with participants who are part-time employed university students. We encoded and themed the material to be able to analyze and draw conclusions. The results reveal that the organizational commitment of part-time employed university students are low, largely due to self-interest and their need for individual development. The HRM strategies that tend to lead to positive effects for university students' development of organizational commitment are: a good introduction, feedback forums, support from colleagues and managers, communicated career opportunities within the organization and benefits in terms of flexibility regarding working time. We therefore consider it important for organizations to develop HRM strategies in these areas to develop the organizational commitment of part-time employed students.