Testing an organizational commitment model in the context of a downsizing Russian military

This study examined the effects of downsizing in the Russian military. Using Steers' (1977) organizational commitment model as the framework, the study examined the effects of survivors' (those who were not downsized) perceptions of justice, skill variety, and personal characteristics on outcomes of job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Russian military service officers (n = 1,781) were surveyed 3--6 months after the downsizing announcement, and again, 15--18 months after the announcement and downsizing had occurred. Cross-sectional analyses of the early and later stages of downsizing found that both skill variety and perceptions of distributive justice were important predictors of survivors' job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Time lag model analyses revealed that job satisfaction at Time 1, and distributive justice at Time 2 were the best predictors of survivors' job satisfaction after the downsizing.; Prior organizational commitment, skill variety, distributive justice, and job satisfaction at Time 2 were the best predictors of organizational commitment after downsizing. Evidence was also found for the moderating effects of justice dimensions: distributive, interactional, and procedural justice, at various stages of the downsizing process. At Time 1, distributive justice moderated the relationship between skill variety and job satisfaction, and procedural justice moderated the relationship between skill variety and organizational commitment. At Time 2, procedural justice moderated the relationship between interactional justice and organizational commitment. Finally, the lag model showed that prior organizational commitment, or commitment at Time 1, moderated the relationship between skill variety at Time 1 and organizational commitment at Time 2.