Impact of Leader-Member Exchange and Job Satisfaction on Employees’ Organisational Commitment in Public Organization in Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of leader-member exchange, job satisfaction and motivation on organizational commitment in public service with major focus on National Examinations Council Offices in Nigerian North-Central States of Niger, Benue and Nasarawa. This study strengthened the understanding of three important variables that affect organizational commitment—Leader-Member Exchange, job satisfaction, and motivation among personnel at the National Examinations Council. A total of 4011 and a sample of 400 randomly selected responses were collected and analyzed to assess the impact of these factors on organizational commitment. The validity of the research instrument was confirmed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation, while internal consistency was demonstrated with Cronbach’s alpha values ranging from 0.592 to 0.743, indicating reliability. The mean score for LMX was 2.87, suggesting a generally low level of leader-member exchange among NECO personnel. However, specific indicators, such as “confidence in leader” and “characterization of working relationship,” scored above 4, indicating some positive interactions between leaders and followers. Job satisfaction yielded a mean score of 3.43, suggesting moderate satisfaction, with high satisfaction levels for items related to role importance, but low scores for recognition and health support. Motivation results showed that intrinsic motivation, particularly “consistent promotion” (mean = 4.94), was highly valued, and extrinsic motivation was strongly influenced by “good pay” and “loyalty to employees.” However, statistical analysis using the F-test yielded significance values of 0.000 for each variable (LMX, job satisfaction, and motivation), all below the alpha level of 0.05, indicating that each variable has a significant positive effect on organizational commitment. These findings highlight the importance of positive leader-member relationships, meaningful job roles, and both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in fostering strong organizational commitment.

Keywords: Leader-Member Exchange, Job Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment, Federal Agency.