Abstract

Organizational commitment is a complex and polysemic construct, and there is no consensus about which definition best describes it. As it is often mistaken for other constructs such as job satisfaction, identification and involvement, few studies have investigated the sociological, anthropological and psychological influences of organizational commitment. Thus, the aim of this paper is to present some social exchange theories, as well as symbol sharing and the relationship between cognitive and social processes, which can provide a better understanding of the individual-organization bonds. A detailed study of some social theories that precede the conception of commitment as an object of study in the field of organizational behavior is substantial to the conceptual clarity of the phenomenon, and indispensable for future studies in discriminant validity as compared to other types of social bonds.