Individual and Organizational Differences in Organizational Commitment and Escalation of Commitment

The present study extended the literature on employee commitment and escalation bias to include individual and organizational difference factors. Escalation bias refers to the tendency for a decision-maker to become overly committed to the decision focus (e.g., the organization, supervisor, an ongoing project) even in light of negative feedback regarding the personâs or projectâs performance (Moon, 2001; Staw, 1976). An escalation of commitment to a losing course of action is viewed as risky and often costly behavior to organizations. The main purpose of the present study was to identify factors that may predispose persons to escalate their commitment. While using the organization as the commitment focus, the study analyzed individual-level organizational commitment type, moderators of the commitment â escalation of commitment relationship, including openness to experience, resistance to change, and sensation-seeking behaviors, and decision rationale as a relationship mediator. While there was no main effect linking organizational commitment to escalation of commitment or mediation effects, openness to experience and resistance to change were significant moderators of the commitment â escalation of commitment relationship, with the interaction dependent on the type of commitment displayed. The findings from this research may provide organizations insight into hiring, training, and other human resource decisions. Suggestions for future research on individual and organizational difference factors related to commitment and escalation bias are discussed.