Influence of Age and Marital Status on Organizational Commitment of Librarians in Academic Libraries in South-East, Nigeria

Abstract

This study focuses on the influence of age and marital status on organizational commitment of librarians in academic libraries in South- East, Nigeria based on the three components of affective, continuance and normative organizational commitment. The study articulated  two objectives, two research questions and two hypotheses. The research used descriptive survey research design. The census sampling  method was adopted to study the entire population of 274 respondents. The questionnaire was used as the instrument to collect data for  the study. The validated structured questionnaire on influence of age and marital status on organizational commitment of librarians had  a correlation coefficient of 0.83. Mean value differentials and percentages were used to analyse the two research questions. Chi-square  statistical technique was used to test the hypotheses because data elicited were categorical data and not measurement data formulated  at 0.05 level of significance. Findings show that age had a significant influence on organizational commitment of librarians (t-cal 53.26; t- tab 12.6) and marital status had a significant influence on organizational commitment of librarians (t-cal 49.32; t-tab 12.6. Based on the  findings, the study recommends that age as a demographic variable should not be a criterion for organizational commitment of  librarians because at any age one can have a reason for being committed to an organization; organizations should employ more of married people who may be in the organization with their spouse or who may not relocate because of their spouse's residence. The  study also recommends that library managers should formulate ways of utilizing mentoring of younger ones by both the old and more  accomplished librarians to inspire and spur them on in their commitment to their organizations, and that organizations should employ  more of married people (who may be in the organization with their spouse or who may not relocate because of their spouse's residence).