Disentangling the Terminology of Organizational Commitment and Related Terms
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- organizational commitment, Organizational Loyalty, Organizational Affiliation, Organizational Identification
Abstract
In light of the terminological confusion surrounding the Western term “Organizational Commitment” in Arabic literature, this study seeks to resolve the terminological entanglement between organizational commitment and related terms, with the aim of urging researchers to unify the terms that address the phenomenon of the individual-organization relationship in Arab business research in the field of organizational behavior.Based on theoretical evidence, the study concluded that it is appropriate to adopt the term “Organizational Commitment” when writing Arabic business research. This term is considered the most appropriate and accurate in describing the relationship between the employee and the organization, and it is also the closest in terms of linguistic and technical meaning to the original Western concept. This choice makes the term a more appropriate alternative to the term “Organizational Loyalty,” which has over time been replaced by the term “Organizational Commitment”. As for the term “Organizational Affiliation”, although it exists in the Arabic literature, its usage differs from its Western counterpart. Therefore, its Arabization and use in Arabic organizational behavior research may lead to confusion in meaning, and it is preferable to avoid it.The study also recommended the need to deepen qualitative administrative research in order to build theories and terminology that are compatible with our Arab context and not to be satisfied with translating Western cognitive output.
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