The Impact of Career Development Opportunities on Employee Organizational Commitment: A Study in a Sri Lankan Private Sector Organization

Abstract

Introduction: Employee organizational commitment is increasingly recognized as a critical factor in improving productivity, reducing turnover and also sustaining competitiveness. However, limited empirical studies in developing country contexts have examined how specific dimensions of career development shape employee commitment. This study investigates the influence of three career development dimensions as training and skill development, promotional opportunities, and career counseling on employee organizational commitment. Objectives: The main objective of this study is to investigate the impact of career development opportunities specifically training and skill development, promotional opportunities, and career counseling on employee organizational commitment. The study also aims to determine which of these three dimensions has the strongest influence on organizational commitment. Methodology: A quantitative research design through a standard questionnaire was applied to a medium-sized organization employees. The sample consisted of 150 employees selected through stratified random sampling. Descriptive statistics, correlation, and multiple regression analysis were used to test the data and explore relationships among career development dimensions and organizational commitment. Results: The findings of the study indicate significant positive relationship between career development opportunities and employee organizational commitment (r = .58, p < .001). The regression analysis revealed that career development opportunities explained 43% of the variance in organizational commitment. Among the three dimensions, promotional opportunities had the strongest influence on organizational commitment (β = .39, p < .001), followed by training and skill development (β = .28, p < .001). Career counseling also had a positive effect, though it was smaller in comparison (β = .12, p = .041). Conclusion: This study concludes that career development prospects are core motivators of organizational commitment and contribute to organizational behavior and HRM literature through the assertion that opportunities for promotion are most important in regard to employee commitment