۱٫ Introduction

۲٫ Methods

۳٫ Results

۴٫ Discussion

Acknowledgements

References

Homestay operators in Malaysia have long been pursuing their homestay program assisted by the government and their respective communities. However, the homestay operators are still confronted with issues such as the declining number of tourist arrivals which could not generate additional income as expected. This has created other problems such as low commitment level among themselves. Therefore, this study was undertaken to identify the determinants that affect the commitment among homestay operators in Malaysia such as quality of life attributes, attitudes, community roles and the role of government. This study used a survey method using a questionnaire involving 394 homestay operators throughout Malaysia. The study population comprised of 3,211 homestay operators who were registered with the Ministry of Tourism Malaysia as at December 2011. The sample was selected using probability sampling method through multistage cluster sampling procedure. A total of 396 questionnaires were distributed using face to face method but only 337 questionnaires were used for purposes of data analysis. The finding showed that the level of commitment among homestay operators was moderate. The four determinants of the study namely quality of life attributes, attitudes, role of community and the role of government have had positive relationships and become significant predictors to the commitment of the homestay operators in Malaysia.

Introduction

Definition and concept of commitment contains a lot of meaning and perception of each perspective. The concept of commitment in the workplace still a challenge and frequently reviewed, particularly in the areas of management, organizational behavior and human resource management (Cohen, 2003; Somers, 2009). Although many researchers highlight the various definitions as described by Iverson (1996), but the researchers formulated two main things i.e. the commitment of treatment and committed attitude of commitment. According to Porter, Steers and Boulian (1974) organizational commitment is a commitment of the workers to their organizations through the three main components of trust and acceptance of organizational goals, willingness to serve the organization and a strong desire to be part of the organization concerned. An employee who has a strong commitment and willing to sacrifice his/her time and energy tend to remain with the organization in an effort to help realize the objectives and goals of the organization (Brewer, 1996; Yusnita, Wan Abdul Aziz, Mohd Shaladdin, & Yahaya, 2012). According to Mowday, Steers and Porter (1979) organizational commitment means the strength of a person’s identity and involvement in the organization that they join. It can be categorized into three related factors, namely 1) a strong belief and acceptance of the values and goals of the organization; 2) the ability to increase the capacity of the organization concerned; and 3) a strong desire to maintain membership in the organization. Therefore, commitment is the active involvement of the individual in the organization of their choice and are willing to take the time and energy to ensure the welfare of the organization. Another alternative view put forward by Meyer and Allen (1993) stated that the commitment is divided into three main components i.e. affective commitment, continuous commitment and normative commitment.