Organizational commitment is an important aspect that keeps the employees continuously focus in their job. Organization whose members show high level of commitment tent to show high performance and productivity. Numerous researches had been done to measure organizational commitment. But little had been done on investigating the relationship between job autonomy, work life balance and affective commitment. Therefore, this study tried to confirm the relationship between the three variables, with a focus in the moderating effect of organizational identity, particularly in the context of the Malaysian public sector. 203 responses were collected using an online questionnaire from public managers in various departments throughout the country. The linear and hierarchical regression analyses were adopted to test the relationships between job autonomy and work life balance towards affective commitment, as well as tested, the moderating effect of organizational identity for the relationships among these three variables. The findings of this study provided important managerial implications for public sector institutions in Malaysia.

Albert, S., & Whetten, D. A. (1985). Organizational identity. Research in Organizational Behavior, 7, 263-295.
Allen, N. J., & Meyer, J. P. (1996). Affective, continuance, and normative commitment to the organization: An examination of construct validity. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 49(3), 252-276.
Alvesson, M., & Robertson, M. (2006). The best and the brightest: The construction, significance and effects of elite identities in consulting firms. Organization, 13(2), 195-224.
Anderson, S. E., Coffey, B. S., & Byerly, R. T. (2002). Formal organizational initiatives and informal workplace practices: Links to work–family conflict and job-related outcomes. Journal of Management, 28(6), 787-810.
Ashforth, B. E., & Mael, F. (1989). Social identity theory and the organization. Academy of Management Review, 14(1), 20-39.
Ashforth, B. E., & Mael, F. A. (1996). Oranizational Identity and Strategy as a Context for the Individual.Advances in Strategic Management, 13, 19-64.
Ashforth, B. E., Harrison, S. H., & Corley, K. G. (2008). Identification in organizations: An examination of four fundamental questions. Journal of Management, 34(3), 325-374.
Baruch, Y. (1998). The rise and fall of organizational commitment. Human Systems Management, 17(2), 135-143.
Beauregard, T. A. (2006). Predicting interference between work and home: A comparison of dispositional and situational antecedents. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 21(3), 244-264.
Bendapudi, N., & Berry, L. L. (1997).Customers' motivations for maintaining relationships with service providers. Journal of Retailing, 73(1), 15-37.
Bhuian, S. N., & Islam, M. S. (1996). Continuance commitment and extrinsic job satisfaction among a novel multicultural expatriate workforce. The Mid-Atlantic Journal of Business, 32(1), 35-46.
Breaugh, J. A. (1985). The measurement of work autonomy. Human Relations, 38(6), 551-570.
Burke, R. J., & Greenglass, E. R. (1999).Work-family congruence and work-family concerns among nursing staff. Canadian Journal of Nursing Leadership, 12(2), 21-29.
Cabrera, A., Collins, W. C., & Salgado, J. F. (2006). Determinants of individual engagement in knowledge sharing. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 17(2), 245-264.
Carlson, D.S., Kacmar, K.M., & Stepins, L.P.(1995).An examination of two aspects of work–family conflict; time and identity. Women in Management Review.10(20), 17–25.
Cascio, W. F. (1991). Costing Human Resources: The Financial Impact of Behavior in Organizations. Boston, MA: PWS-Kent.
Caught, K., Shadur, M. A., & Rodwell, J. J. (2000).The measurement artifact in the organizational commitment questionnaire. Psychological Reports, 87(3), 777-788.
Chen, Z. X., & Francesco, A. M. (2000). Employee demography, organizational commitment, and turnover intentions in China: Do cultural differences matter?.Human Relations, 53(6), 869-887.
Chiu, W. C., & Ng, C. W. (1999). Women‐friendly HRM and organizational commitment: A study among women and men of organizations in Hong Kong. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 72(4), 485-502.
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, (2000).Recruitment. IPD Survey Report.Retrieved from http://www.cipd.co.uk/download/recruit_survey2000.pdf
Clark, S. C. (2000). Work/family border theory: A new theory of work/family balance. Human Relations, 53(6), 747-770.
Clark, S. C. (2001). Work cultures and work/family balance. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 58(3), 348-365.
Coleman, J. (1990). Foundations of Social Theory. Cambridge, MA, USA: Belknap Press.
Cordes, C. L., & Dougherty, T. W. (1993). A review and an integration of research on job burnout. Academy of Management Review, 18(4), 621-656.
Cuepacs: Give double salary increments to civil servants. (2017, September 30). The Star, Retrieved from https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/09/30/cuepacs-wants-double-salary-increment-for-civil-servants/
Currivan, D. B. (1999).The causal order of job satisfaction and organizational commitment in models of employee turnover. Human Resource Management Review, 9(4), 495-524.
Dench, S. (2002). Workplace culture fails to support work–life balance. Management Services, 46(6), 6
DeVellis, R. F. (2016). Scale development: Theory and applications. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
Dutton, J. E., & Dukerich, J. M. (1991).Keeping an eye on the mirror: Image and identity in organizational adaptation. Academy of Management Journal, 34(3), 517-554.
Dutton, J. E., Dukerich, J. M., & Harquail, C. V. (1994). Organizational images and member identification. Administrative Science Quarterly, 39(2), 239-263.
Estes S. B. & Michael J. (2005). Work-family policies and gender inequality at work: A SloanWork and Family Encyclopedia entry. Retrieved from https://workfamily.sas.upenn.edu/wfrn-repo/object/q8hs4no9i934jm6r.
Fiol, C. M., & Huff, A. S. (1992). Maps for managers: Where are we? Where do we go from here?.Journal of Management Studies, 29(3), 267-285.
Fried, Y., & Ferris, G. R. (1987). The validity of the job characteristics model: A review and meta‐analysis. Personnel Psychology, 40(2), 287-322.
Gioia, D. A. 1998. Identity in organizations: Building theory through conversations: 17-31. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publication
Gioia, D. A., & Thomas, J. B. (1996). Identity, image, and issue interpretation: Sense making during strategic change in academia. Administrative Science Quarterly, 41(3), 370-403.
Gröpel, P. (2006). Rovnováha Zivotných Oblastí Vo Vztahu K Naplnenosti Potrieb A Spokojnosti So Zivotom. Ceskoslovenska Psychologie, 50(1), 71.
Gröpel, P., & Kuhl, J. (2006).Having time for life activities: Life balance and self-regulation. Zeitschrift für Gesundheitspsychologie, 14(2), 54-63.
Hackman, J. R., & Oldham, G. R. (1975).Development of the job diagnostic survey. Journal of Applied Psychology, 60(2), 159.
Hackman, J. R., & Oldham, G. R. (1980).Work redesign (Vol. 72). Reading: Addison-Wesley.
Hair, J. F., Anderson, R. E., Tatham, R. L., & Black, W. C. (1998). Multivariate data analysis. Upper Saddle River.
Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., Anderson, R. E., & Tatham, R. L. (2006).Multivariate data analysis. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Hamilton, E. A., Gordon, J. R., & Whelan-Berry, K. S. (2006). Understanding the work-life conflict of never-married women without children. Women in Management Review, 21(5), 393-415.
Ho, J. (2013). Hard Work and Commitment of Malaysia’s Civil Servants Contribute to Global Recognition. Retrieved from http://etp.pemandu.gov.my/Media_Release-@-Hard_Work_And_Commitment_Of_Malaysia%E2%80%99s_Civil_Servants_Contribute_To_Global_Recognition.aspx
Jay, B. N. (2017). Malaysia has 500,000 civil servants, not 1.6 million, says Cuepacs. News Straits Times. Retrieved from https://www.nst.com.my/news/2017/02/212733/malaysia-has-500000-civil-servants-not-16-million-says-cuepacs
Kahn, R. L., Wolfe, D. M., Quinn, R. P., Snoek, J. D., & Rosenthal, R. A. (1964).Organizational stress: Studies in role conflict and ambiguity. Oxford, England: John Wiley.
Khan, M. R., Ziauddin, J. F., & Ramay, M. I. (2010). The impacts of organizational commitment on employee job performance. European Journal of Social Sciences, 15(3), 292-298.
Kiggundu, M. N. (1983). Task interdependence and job design: Test of a theory. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 31(2), 145-172.
Kinnunen, U., & Mauno, S. (1998). Antecedents and outcomes of work-family conflict among employed women and men in Finland. Human Relations, 51(2), 157-177.
Kofodimos, J. R. (1993). Balancing act: How managers can integrate successful careers and fulfilling personal lives. San Francisco, CA, US: Jossey-Bass.
Kossek, E., &Ozeki, C. (1998). Work–family conflict, policies, and the job–life satisfaction relationship: A review and directions for organizational behavior–human resources research. Journal of Applied Psychology, 83(2), 139.
Kropf, M. B. (1999). A research perspective on work-family issues. Integrating work and family: Challenges and choices for a changing world, 69-76.Westport,CT: Praeger.
Kuhnle, C., Hofer, M., & Kilian, B. (2010). The relationship of value orientations, self-control, frequency of school–leisure conflicts, and life-balance in adolescence. Learning and Individual Differences, 20(3), 251-255.
Kuvaas, B. (2006). Work performance, affective commitment, and work motivation: The roles of pay administration and pay level. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 27(3), 365-385.
Larson, E. W., & Fukami, C. V. (1984). Relationships between worker behavior and commitment to the organization and union. In Academy of Management Proceedings (Vol. 1984, No. 1, pp. 222-226). Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510: Academy of Management.
Lee, L. T. (2017). Act on public complaints. The Star. Retrieved from https://www.thestar.com.my/opinion/letters/2015/12/07/act-on-public-complaints/
Liou, K. T., & Nyhan, R. C. (1994). Dimensions of organizational commitment in the public sector: An empirical assessment. Public Administration Quarterly, 18(1), 99-118.
Liu, C., Spector, P., & Jex, S. (2005). The relation of job control with job strains: A comparison of multiple data sources. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 78(3), 325-336.
Lo, M. C., Ramayah, T., & Min, H. W. (2009). Leadership styles and organizational commitment: a test on Malaysia manufacturing industry. African Journal of Marketing Management, 1(6), 133-139.
Lobel, S. A. (1992). A value‐laden approach to integrating work and family life. Human Resource Management, 31(3), 249-265.
Lobel, S. A., &Kossek, E. E. (1996). Human resource strategies to support diversity in work and personal lifestyles: Beyond the “family friendly” organization. Managing diversity: Human resource strategies for transforming the workplace, 221-243., Cambridge, MA: Blackwell
MacCallum, R. C., Browne, M. W., & Sugawara, H. M. (1996). Power analysis and determination of sample size for covariance structure modeling. Psychological Methods, 1(2), 130.
Mael, F., &Ashforth, B. E. (1992). Alumni and their alma mater: A partial test of the reformulated model of organizational identification. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 13(2), 103-123.
Maslach, C., Schaufeli, W. B., & Leiter, M. P. (2001).Job burnout. Annual Review of Psychology, 52(1), 397-422.
Mathieu, J. E., & Zajac, D. M. (1990).A review and meta-analysis of the antecedents, correlates, and consequences of organizational commitment. Psychological Bulletin, 108(2), 171-194.
Meyer, J. P., & Allen, N. J. (1991). A three-component conceptualization of organizational commitment. Human Resource Management Review, 1(1), 61-89.
Meyer, J. P., & Allen, N. J. (1997). Commitment in the Workplace: Theory, Research, and Application (Advanced Topics in Organizational Behavior). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Meyer, J. P., Allen, N. J., & Smith, C. A. (1993). Commitment to organizations and occupations: Extension and test of a three-component conceptualization. Journal of Applied Psychology, 78(4), 538-551.
Mitchell, O. S. (1997). Work and family benefits. Pension Research Council Working Papers 96-2, Wharton School Pension Research Council, University of Pennsylvania.
Morrow, P. C. (1983). Concept redundancy in organizational research: The case of work commitment. Academy of Management Review, 8(3), 486-500.
Mortimer, J. T., Lorence, J., & Kumka, D. S. (1986).Work, family, and personality: Transition to adulthood. Westport, CT, US: Ablex Publishing.
Mowday, R. T., Porter, L. W., & Dubin, R. (1974). Unit performance, situational factors, and employee attitudes in spatially separated work units. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 12(2), 231-248.
Naqvi, S. R., Ishtiaq, M., Kanwal, N., & Ali, M. (2013). Impact of job autonomy on organizational commitment and job satisfaction: The moderating role of organizational culture in fast food sector of Pakistan. International Journal of Business and Management, 8(17), 92.
Nunally, J. (1978). Psychometric Methods. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Parsons, T. & Bales, R. F. (1955). Family socialization and interaction processes. Glencoe, Illinois: The Free Press.
Pathak, R., & Das, I. (2003). Effect of need autonomy and job autonomy upon absenteeism.Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Department of Psychology, Dayalbagh Educational Institute, Deemed University, Agra, India.
Porter, L. W., Crampon, W. J., & Smith, F. J. (1976). Organizational commitment and managerial turnover: A longitudinal study. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 15(1), 87-98.
Porter, L. W., Steers, R. M., Mowday, R. T., & Boulian, P. V. (1974). Organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and turnover among psychiatric technicians. Journal of Applied Psychology, 59(5), 603.
Safilios-Rothschild, C. (1971). A cross-cultural examination of women's marital, educational and occupational options. ActaSociologica, 14(2), 96-113.
Saragih, S. (2011). The Effects of Job Autonomy on Work Outcomes: Self Efficacy as an Intervening Variable. International Research Journal of Business Studies, 4(3), 203-215.
Sarboland, K. (2012). Assessment of the relationship between emotional intelligence and organizational commitment of employees: A case study of Tax Affairs Offices, Iran. Journal of Basic and Applied Scientific Research, 2(5), 5164-5168.
Schein, E. (1970). Organizational Psychology. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall
Settoon, R. P., Bennett, N., & Liden, R. C. (1996). Social exchange in organizations: Perceived organizational support, leader–member exchange, and employee reciprocity. Journal of Applied Psychology, 81(3), 219-227.
Shaharruddin, S., & Ahmad, F. (2015). The influence of job autonomy on organizational cynicism: the reliability test. International Journal, 91.
Siddiquee, N. A. (2006). Public management reform in Malaysia: Recent initiatives and experiences. International Journal of Public Sector Management, 19(4), 339-358.
Sommer, S. M., Bae, S. H., & Luthans, F. (1996). Organizational commitment across cultures: The impact of antecedents on Korean employees. Human Relations, 49(7), 977-993.
Staats, E. B. (1988). Public service and the public interest. Public Administration Review, 48(2), 601-605+ii.
Steers, R. M. (1975). Problems in the measurement of organizational effectiveness. Administrative Science Quarterly, 20(4), 546-558.
Steers, R. M. (1977). Antecedents and outcomes of organizational commitment. Administrative Science Quarterly, 22(1), 46-56.
Stinglhamber, F., Marique, G., Caesens, G., Desmette, D., Hansez, I., Hanin, D., & Bertrand, F. (2015). Employees’ organizational identification and affective organizational commitment: An integrative approach. PloSOne, 10(4), e0123955.
Subramaniam, G., & Selvaratnam, D. P. (2010). Family friendly policies in Malaysia: Where are we?. Journal of International Business Research, 9(1), 43-55.
Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (2007). Using multivariate statistics. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon/Pearson Education.
Tausig, M., & Fenwick, R. (2001). Unbinding time: Alternate work schedules and work-life balance. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 22(2), 101-119.
Tett, R. P., & Meyer, J. P. (1993). Job satisfaction, organizational commitment, turnover intention, and turnover: path analyses based on meta‐analytic findings. Personnel Psychology, 46(2), 259-293.
Thomas, L. T., & Ganster, D. C. (1995). Impact of family-supportive work variables on work-family conflict and strain: A control perspective. Journal of Applied Psychology, 80(1), 6.
Thompson, C. A., Beauvais, L. L., & Lyness, K. S. (1999).When work–family benefits are not enough: The influence of work–family culture on benefit utilization, organizational attachment, and work–family conflict. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 54(3), 392-415.
Tjiptoherijanto, P. (2012). Civil service reform in Malaysia: Commitment and consistency. Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics, University of Indonesia.
Turner, A. N., & Lawrence, P. R. (1965). Industrial jobs and the worker: An investigation of response to task attributes. Harvard University, Division of Research, Graduate School of Business Administration.
Ulrich, D. (1998). Intellectual capital= competence x commitment. Sloan Management Review, 39(2), 15-26.
Van Dick, R., Wagner, U., Stellmacher, J., Christ, O., & Tissington, P. A. (2005). To be (long) or not to be (long): Social identification in organizational contexts. Genetic, Social, and General Psychology Monographs, 131(3), 189-218.
Van Maanen, J. (1975). Police socialization: A longitudinal examination of job attitudes in an urban police department. Administrative Science Quarterly, 20(2), 207-228.
Wheaton, B., Muthen, B., Alwin, D. F., & Summers, G. F. (1977). Assessing reliability and stability in panel models. Sociological methodology, 8, 84-136.
Whetten, D. A., Lewis, D., & Mischel, L. J. (1992). Towards an integrated model of organizational identity and member commitment. In annual meeting of the Academy of Management, Las Vegas.
Wiener, Y. (1982). Commitment in organizations: A normative view. Academy Of Management Review, 7(3), 418-428.
Wiener, Y., & Vardi, Y. (1980). Relationships between job, organization, and career commitments and work outcomes—An integrative approach. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 26(1), 81-96.
Wood, S. J., & de Menezes, L. M. (2010).Family-friendly management, organizational performance and social legitimacy. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 21(10), 1575-1597.