Front Med (Lausanne). 2026 Jul 20;13:1868245. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2026.1868245. eCollection 2026.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Organizational commitment is a critical determinant of workforce stability, employee retention, and organizational performance in healthcare settings. As healthcare systems undergo large-scale transformation, maintaining a committed workforce becomes increasingly important for supporting service quality, organizational resilience, and successful implementation of reforms. In Saudi Arabia, the Health Sector Transformation Program has introduced integrated health cluster models that bring together hospitals, primary healthcare centers, and administrative services under unified governance. Despite the importance of organizational commitment in these evolving healthcare systems, evidence remains limited regarding commitment levels among employees working within integrated health clusters. Therefore, this study aimed to assess organizational commitment and identify associated factors among clinical and administrative employees in the Asir Health Cluster, Saudi Arabia.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted between October and December 2025 using the Meyer and Allen Organizational Commitment Scale. A total of 392 clinical and administrative employees participated. Descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-tests, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to examine differences in commitment levels. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of organizational commitment.
RESULTS: Overall organizational commitment was moderate (M = 3.85, SD = 0.88). Normative commitment demonstrated the highest mean score (M = 3.98, SD = 1.07), followed by affective commitment (M = 3.84, SD = 0.87) and continuance commitment (M = 3.70, SD = 1.22). Commitment levels were generally similar across professional groups. Female employees were significantly more likely to report high organizational commitment than male employees (AOR = 2.45, 95% CI: 1.55-3.87, p < 0.001), while age and professional category were not significant predictors.
CONCLUSION: Employees within the Asir Health Cluster demonstrated moderate organizational commitment, with commitment primarily driven by a sense of professional obligation and responsibility. The findings highlight opportunities to strengthen workforce engagement through initiatives that enhance affective commitment, including supportive leadership, employee recognition, and positive organizational culture. Organizational commitment should be considered a strategic workforce indicator within healthcare transformation efforts, and regular monitoring may support workforce planning, employee retention, and the long-term sustainability of health system reforms under Saudi Vision 2030.
PMID:42548950 | PMC:PMC13430452 | DOI:10.3389/fmed.2026.1868245
