Organizational commitment among lecturers in private universities: Evidence from Shandong Province, China

Abstract

The stability and professional development of lecturers have become critical issues for private universities striving for sustainable development. This study aims to examine the level of organizational commitment among lecturers in private universities in Shandong Province, China, and to investigate whether organizational commitment differs across demographic characteristics. A quantitative survey was conducted among lecturers from six private universities using Meyer et al.'s (1993) Organizational Commitment Scale. Data from 1,147 valid questionnaires were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-tests, and one-way ANOVA. The findings reveal that lecturers generally demonstrate a relatively high level of organizational commitment, with affective commitment recording the highest mean score, followed by normative and continuance commitment. Significant differences were identified across gender, age, years of service, and current position, whereas educational level showed no significant effect. These findings provide empirical evidence for understanding organizational commitment in China's private higher education sector and offer practical implications for university administrators in developing strategies to enhance lecturer retention, organizational stability, and institutional sustainability.