Impact investigation of organizational commitment on intention to leave of public secondary school teachers in Tanzania

Abstract

This study captures part of the product of larger survey conducted in three public secondary schools (S1, S2 and S3) in Dodoma, Tanzania. It aimed at investigating factors contributing to teachers intention to leave; and the relationship between organizational commitment dimensions (affective, normative and continuance) and intention to leave. Further, the study determined levels of teachers’ commitment and intention to leave while examining the impact of demographic factors on intention to leave levels. Employing survey method, data were collected using questionnaire on random sampled teachers (n= 127, response rate 88%). It was agreed between researchers and school administration that school names should not appear in publication. Results revealed teachers had low affective commitment, moderate continuance commitment, very low normative commitment and high intention to leave which may be executed into actual behavior next year. Organizational commitment dimensions had significant negative relationship with intention to leave. Though, normative commitment did not show unique contribution, affective and continuance commitment showed significant and unique contribution on teachers’ intention to leave while continuance commitment being stronger predictor. Except for younger teachers who reported higher intention to leave, other demographic factors did not indicate significant statistical differences on intention to leave. Implications relevant to school managers, educational stakeholders and Government were discussed as well.

Keywords: Tanzania, Organizational commitment, Intention to leave, Affective commitment, Normative commitment, Continuance commitment