Understanding Organizational Commitment among Young Police Officers: The Roles of Work Values, Organizational Support, and Meaningful Work

Organizational commitment remains a central concern in policing because it shapes retention, service quality, ethical conduct, and overall organizational effectiveness. Although previous studies have linked commitment to a range of individual and organizational factors, less attention has been given to the combined roles of work values, perceived organizational support, and meaningful work in explaining commitment among young police officers, particularly in developing-country contexts. This paper develops a conceptual framework that explains how work values and perceived organizational support may strengthen organizational commitment through meaningful work. Drawing on literature related to organizational commitment, work values, perceived organizational support, meaningful work, Social Exchange Theory, and policing organizations, the paper proposes seven hypotheses for future empirical testing. The framework is designed for subsequent examination through a quantitative survey and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). By integrating personal values, organizational treatment, and the psychological experience of meaningful work, this paper contributes to organizational behavior scholarship and offers a theoretical basis for strengthening commitment among young police officers.

work values; perceived organizational support; meaningful work; organizational commitment; young police officers

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