Organizational commitment is a bond with an organization based on dedication and attachment to the organization. The COVID-19 disaster facilitated the introduction of telework, creating a situation where workers belong to an organization but do not show up at the office. Hence, face-to-face interactions and communication are restricted, which may reduce loyalty and attachment to the organization. On the other hand, some studies have reported that there is no relationship between ICT and organizational commitment (Jacobs, 2004) or that ICT use is indirectly related to organizational commitment through several variables (Snyder & Cistulli, 2020). It is not clear whether ICT use increases or decreases workers' organizational commitment or whether there is a direct or indirect relationship between effective ICT use and organizational commitment. Several mediating variables may be present. Some studies have also shown that effective face-to-face communication, such as information exchange, is positively related to organizational commitment (e.g., Carriere & Bourque, 2009). Since ICT is a medium for exchanging and sharing information among members of an organization, effective use of ICT may be useful in improving the quality and efficiency of such organizational communication. However, few studies have investigated how ICT, organizational communication, and organizational commitment are related. Elucidating the mechanism is important and is expected to make a significant academic contribution. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to clarify the mechanism by which organizational communication mediates the relationship between effective use of ICT and organizational commitment, and to validate the model. The findings obtained are also expected to make a practical contribution in terms of providing ideas and suggestions for organizational management to consider new work style reforms. For this purpose, the present researcher conducted an internet questionnaire survey and collected the data from 500 white-collar workers in Japan in December 2021. Structural equation model (SEM) and bootstrap tests were conducted for testing the goodness of fit of the of the mediating model and finding indirect relationships between exogenous and endogenous variables, respectively. ICTs, exogenous variables, are e-mail, enterprise groupware, and web meeting media. Endogenous variables are three dimensions of organizational commitment: affective, normative, and continuance commitment. Mediating variables are three dimensions of organizational communication: open communication atmosphere (or climate), satisfaction with the amount of downward communication from immediate leaders/superiors and from top management/organization. 27 models were analyzed. As a result of the data analyses, the implementation of ICT per se was not related to any dimensions of organizational commitment. However, in all models, three dimensions of organizational communication fully or partially mediated the relationships between effective use of ICT and organizational commitment. Even in models with the mediating effects, the beta coefficients of the relationships between endogenous and exogenous variables were very small. Based on the results, several academic implications are discussed. At a time when workstyles are being transformed by the COVID-19 pandemic and ICT is becoming an essential communication medium, the academic and practical contribution of this study in elucidating how the effective use of ICT is related to workers' organizational commitment is significant.
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