Commitment in both organizational theory and in practice has become more and more important. It is linked to participation, motivation, and organizational effectiveness. At the same time, commitment has become ever more difficult to understand and define. One of the issues dealing with commitment, which has been changing a lot, is the fact, where people are committed to. It is not at all clear that people are committed to the organization, as it was earlier. Some people might be committed to the leader, some to getting a pay check, some to individual goals, and some to developing personal expertise.

In this lecture professor Lämsä talks about one important aspect of commitment, managerial commitment to organizational change. The presentation is based on her article, which clarified some important elements of this commitment. One of the key issues, which she found was psychological bond and trust. Later she also presents a framework explaining in more detail the characteristics and levels of organizational commitment. At the end of the lecture she presents results of another of her studies focusing on the advancement of trust in organizations.