I pledge thee my troth ... contingently: Commitment and the contingent work relationship

This paper examines work commitment outside of traditional and ongoing employer-employee relationships. In particular, attention is given to the commitment-related implications associated with the growth of various forms of "contingent" employment contracts. Of specific theoretical and practical concern is the applicability, overlap, and/or relative importance of various commitment foci (e.g., organization, job, occupation, and employment) for workers employed in both traditional arrangements and three illustrative forms of contingent employment. Implications for commitment theory, human resource management practices, and future research needs are discussed.