The Collapse of Allen and Meyer's Organizational Commitment Theory: Deconstruction and New Theoretical Synthesis Based on the Perspective of Tafsir Fi Zhilalil Qur'an and Al-Misbah
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30738/Keywords:
Organizational Commitment, Allen & Meyer, Tafsir Al-Misbah, Tafsir Fi Zhilalil Qur'an, Al-Iltizam al-AmanahAbstract
Allen and Meyer’s three-component model of organizational commitment—comprising affective, continuance, and normative commitment—has dominated the human resource management literature for decades. Yet the model has drawn increasing criticism for its materialistic bias, the conceptual overlap among its dimensions, and its inability to capture the spiritual and transcendental dimension of work, particularly among workers in Eastern societies. This article challenges the claimed universality of Allen and Meyer’s model through contemporary theoretical critique and proposes a new synthesis grounded in Qur’anic hermeneutics, drawing on Tafsir Fi Zhilalil Qur’an (Sayyid Quthb) and Tafsir Al-Misbah (M. Quraish Shihab). Using a descriptive-analytical qualitative design with a library-research (literature study) approach, the study synthesizes data from interpretive (tafsir) texts and contemporary management scholarship. The analysis indicates that the Western conception of commitment collapses under the fragility of its purely transactional and worldly foundations. As an alternative, the study advances the concept of Al-Iltizam al-Amanah (Transcendental Commitment), which rests on three pillars: Divine Values (Tawhid/Ihsan), Public Benefit (Maslahah Ammah / active humanity), and Accountability in the Hereafter. The finding contributes conceptual novelty by shifting the commitment paradigm from a mechanistic-contractual orientation toward a spiritual-prophetic one. The managerial implications emphasize restructuring organizational culture so that institutional goals are aligned with employees’ spiritual fulfillment.
References
[1] J. P. Meyer and D. J. Stanley, “Employee commitment and performance,” in Handbook of employee commitment, 2016.
[2] J. P. Meyer, N. J. Allen, and C. A. Smith, “Commitment to organizations and occupations: Extension and test of a three-component conceptualization.,” Journal of Applied Psychology, vol. 78, no. 4, 1993, doi: 10.1037//0021-9010.78.4.538.
[3] J. P. Fernandez, M. A. Vargas, J. M. V. Garcia, J. A. C. Carrillo, and J. J. C. Aguilar, “Coevolutionary Optimization of a Fuzzy Logic Controller for Antilock Braking Systems under Changing Road Conditions,” IEEE Trans. Veh. Technol., vol. 70, no. 2, 2021, doi: 10.1109/TVT.2021.3055142.
[4] G. A. Crisan, A. Belciu, and M. E. Popescu, “Digital Transformation—One Step Further to a Sustainable Economy: The Bibliometric Analysis,” Sustainability (Switzerland), vol. 17, no. 4, 2025, doi: 10.3390/su17041477.
[5] I. Carnimeo et al., “Quantum ESPRESSO: One Further Step toward the Exascale,” J. Chem. Theory Comput., vol. 19, no. 20, 2023, doi: 10.1021/acs.jctc.3c00249.
[6] I. Ojanguren Arranz, S. Quirce, I. Bobolea, L. Pérez de Llano, and V. Del Pozo, “Phenotyping Asthma Exacerbations: One Step Further in the Management of Severe Asthma,” 2025. doi: 10.18176/jiaci.1043.
[7] S. Zhang and J. Li, “KNN Classification With One-Step Computation,” IEEE Trans. Knowl. Data Eng., vol. 35, no. 3, 2023, doi: 10.1109/TKDE.2021.3119140.
[8] J. Navarro, R. A. Roe, and M. I. Artiles, “Taking time seriously: Changing practices and perspectives in Work/Organizational Psychology,” Revista de Psicologia del Trabajo y de las Organizaciones, vol. 31, no. 3, 2015, doi: 10.1016/j.rpto.2015.07.002.
[9] Р. Чайка, “ТЕОРЕТИЧНИЙ АНАЛІЗ ПРОБЛЕМИ КОНСАЛТИНГА БАЗОВАНОГО НА ПРОФІЛЯХ ПРИЙНЯТТЯ КАР’ЄРНИХ РІШЕНЬ ГАТТІ,” Науковий часопис НПУ імені М. П. Драгоманова. Серія 12. Психологічні науки, 2024, doi: 10.31392/udu-nc.series12.2024.23(68).12.
[10] H. Yılmaz, E. Hayat, and İ. Kaynar, “The mediating role of organization-based self-esteem on the relationship of perceived human resource management system strength and employee reactions toward change: A research in the banking sector,” Uşak Üniversitesi Uygulamalı Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, vol. 3, no. 2, 2023.
[11] M. Q. Shihab, “Tafsir Al-Mishbah: Pesan, Kesan, dan Keserasian Al-Quran Volume,” Tafsir Al-Misbah, 2002.
[12] Setyabudi Indartono, Pengantar Manajemen, vol. 8, no. 5. 2019.
[13] N. C. Swart et al., “CCCma CanESM5 model output prepared for CMIP6 CMIP historical,” Earth Syst.Grid Fed., 2019.
[14] E. Van Rooyen and G. Huysamen, “Die langtermyndoeltreffendheid van ’n universiteitsoorbruggingsprogram,” Acta Academica: Critical views on society, culture and politics, vol. 32, no. 1, 2024, doi: 10.38140/aa.v32i1.8872.
[15] R. S. Jatilaksono and Ph. D. dan Setyabudi Indartono, “Pengaruh Disiplin Kerja, Kesehatan Keselamatan Kerja Dan Budaya Organisasi Terhadap Kinerja Karyawan,” Jurnal Ilmiah Manajemen, Ekonomi, & Akuntansi (MEA), vol. 7, no. 1, 2023.
[16] J. Herrera and C. De Las Heras-Rosas, “The Organizational Commitment in the Company and Its Relationship With the Psychological Contract,” 2021. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.609211.
[17] D. H. Aranki, T. S. Suifan, and R. J. Sweis, “The Relationship between Organizational Culture and Organizational Commitment,” Mod. Appl. Sci., vol. 13, no. 4, 2019, doi: 10.5539/mas.v13n4p137.
[18] N. S. AlKahtani et al., “Impact of employee empowerment on organizational commitment through job satisfaction in four and five stars hotel industry,” Management Science Letters, 2021, doi: 10.5267/j.msl.2020.10.022.
[19] S. Ferdiana, Z. Khan, and S. Ray, “Investigating the Impact of Career Development, Organizational Commitment, and Organizational Support on Employee Retention,” Journal of Management Studies and Development, vol. 2, no. 02, 2023, doi: 10.56741/jmsd.v2i02.108.
[20] H. Xiao, W. Xie, and B. Liu, “An empirical study on the influence of new generation employees’ job satisfaction on contextual performance in the energy industry,” Heliyon, vol. 10, no. 9, 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30073.
[21] W. Jiatong, Z. Wang, M. Alam, M. Murad, F. Gul, and S. A. Gill, “The Impact of Transformational Leadership on Affective Organizational Commitment and Job Performance: The Mediating Role of Employee Engagement,” Front. Psychol., vol. 13, 2022, doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.831060.
[22] C. J. Wang, “Exploring the Mechanisms Linking Transformational Leadership, Perceived Organizational Support, Creativity, and Performance in Hospitality: The Mediating Role of Affective Organizational Commitment,” Behavioral Sciences, vol. 12, no. 10, 2022, doi: 10.3390/bs12100406.
[23] A. V. Barza and M. Galanakis, “The Big Five Personality Theory and Organizational Commitment,” Psychology, vol. 13, no. 03, 2022, doi: 10.4236/psych.2022.133027.
[24] P. K. Ametepe, E. U. Otuaga, C. F. Nnaji, and M. S. Arilesere, “The moderating role of workplace ostracism between employee training, employee participation and organizational commitment among bank employees,” Arab Gulf Journal of Scientific Research, vol. 42, no. 2, 2024, doi: 10.1108/AGJSR-11-2022-0249.
[25] A. M. S. Mostafa, C. Boon, W. Abouarghoub, and Z. Cai, “High-commitment HRM, organizational engagement, and deviant workplace behaviors: The moderating role of person-organization fit,” European Management Review, vol. 20, no. 3, 2023, doi: 10.1111/emre.12542.
[26] F. Hermawan et al., “The role of transformational leadership, job satisfaction and organizational commitment on organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) of SMEs employees in the digital era,” Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development, vol. 8, no. 7, 2024, doi: 10.24294/jipd.v8i7.5194.
[27] F. Nabhan and M. Munajat, “The role of work engagement and organizational commitment in improving job performance,” Cogent Business and Management, vol. 10, no. 2, 2023, doi: 10.1080/23311975.2023.2235819.
[28] M. F. Riza, B. Hutahayan, and H. Y. Chong, “Fostering high-performing organizations in higher education: the effect of participative leadership, organizational culture, and innovation on organizational performance and commitment,” Cogent Education, vol. 12, no. 1, 2025, doi: 10.1080/2331186X.2024.2448884.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Setyabudi Indartono, Sigit purnomo, Kukuh Wahyudin Pratama (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
