When defined in this fashion, commitment represents something beyond
mere passive loyalty to an organization. It involves an active relationship
with the organization such that individuals are willing to give
something of themselves in order to contribute to the the organization’s
well being. Hence, to an observer, commitment could be inferred not only
from the expressions of an individual’s beliefs and opinions but also from
his or her actions. It is important to note here that this definition does not
preclude the possibility (or even probability) that individuals will also be
committed to other aspects of their environment, such as one’s family or
union or political party. It simply asserts that regardless of these other
possible commitments, the organizationally committed individual will
tend to exhibit the three types of behavior identified in the above definition.