Conditions for employee-commitment in growing SMEs. Conceptual considerations

Abstract

Evidently, employee-commitment (or organisational commitment), which can be defined as a psychological linking or bond of the individual to its organisation, is an essential success factor for organisations. Empirical results show that characteristics of work, organisation, leadership, and the person involved are important in terms of employee-commitment. During development and growth of SMEs, many aspects of work, work environment, organisation, and leadership as well as aspects of the cultural and social environment of employees are changing. Only a small number of studies have explored the required conditions for employee-commitment in growing SMEs. In the present paper, the mentioned conditions for employee-commitment during the growth of SMEs are discussed. From this, recommendations for future research are derived, which essentially refer to aspects of the working environment and entrepreneurs' growth considerations.