Organizations do tend to face challenges such as recession, cut-throat competition and information technological advances. Their survival is, therefore, dependent upon a loyal and committed workforce. The central role Human Resource Management (HRM) practices play in creating and maintaining commitment is critical. This paper examines the impact of demographic characteristics and HRM practices on multidimensional organizational commitment in a non-Western context. Data was collected using mixed methods research. First, questionnaire responses were received from 446 academic and 486 administrative employees from three public and three private universities in Kenya. Secondly, semi-structured interviews with 15 academic and administrative employees were conducted. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and regression analysis. The results show that (a) HRM practices are more important than demographic characteristics in influencing organizational commitment; (b) demographic characteristics and HRM practices differ in their influence on each dimension of organizational commitment; and (c) private universities have more superior HRM practices than public universities. This paper contributes to existing knowledge by testing the predictors of multidimensional organizational commitment in a non-Western context. Conclusions, recommendations and limitations are also discussed in the paper.

The management of human resources in organizations has made a transition since the 1980s from relative insignificance to strategic importance. Till the early 1970s, organizations operated in a relatively stable environment with distinct domestic markets and minimal complexities. The late 1970s to the present has been characterized by a dynamic global economy with cut-throat competition, information technological advances and the upsurge of emerging economies (Schuler et al., 1993; and Anakwe, 2002). Therefore, as organizations continue to face a myriad of challenges, their survival will depend upon how effectively they manage their human resources and implement their Human Resource Management (HRM) practices (Anakwe, 2002). The importance of HRM practices on organizational outcomes such as organizational commitment has become an important topic for researchers. Various studies have stressed the benefits to organizations of a loyal and committed workforce and the central role HRM practices may play in creating and maintaining commitment (Iles et al., 1990; Iverson and Buttigieg, 1999; Meyer and Smith, 2000; and Gould-Williams, 2004). According to Meyer and Smith (2000) unless employees believe they have been treated fairly, they will not be committed to the organization.

This study extends Meyer and Allen's multidimensional organizational commitment in several ways. First, although various studies have been carried out to determine how employees' commitment to an organization develops, limited research has been carried out on the potential impact of HRM practices on multidimensional organizational commitment (Meyer and Smith, 2000; Agarwala, 2003; and Malhotra et al., 2007). According to Iles et al. (1990), most of the predictors of organizational commitment have been carried over from job satisfaction studies and include demographic variables, job characteristics, role stressors, organizational characteristics among others while variables more directly related to HRM practices have been neglected. This is despite research evidence showing that organizational commitment is more strongly influenced by employees' perceptions of HRM practices such as fairness of promotion practices than by task or role variables (Oglivie, 1986; and Meyer and Smith, 2000).

Organizational Behaviour Journal, Human Resource Management, Organizational Commitments, Global Economy, Government Budgetary Allocation, Public Universities Management, Structural Adjustment Programs, Decision Making Process, Data Collection Instruments, Career Development, Financial Constraints.