The commitment of members to their organization and organizational commitment to its members is an important on-going discussion that I have covered both in this program and in the main Talking About Organizations Podcast. In this episode, I want to further discussion about the member’s side of things – because traditionally the construct is about the member as a single individual, when in practice we may be talking about something more – like the member’s family. This has become a significant economic issue, as family considerations (from health care to parental leave) has an impact.

But this is about far more than just money. It would seem too easy to rely on existing constructs whereby an organization’s commitment to its members is based solely on incentives — that is, provide enough benefits to families and the members are more likely to stay. Of course, this assumes that members are committed (a la Meyer and Allen, 1991) through cost-benefit analyses. Also, in high-risk organizations where the members face routine danger, bringing about stress to the families, psychosocial safety plays a role in a member’s willingness to stay. So, what is the conversation that should take place between the organization and its members regarding the care and benefits of the member’s families?