Taking the Pledge: The Commitment Process in Alcoholics Anonymous
- 1 January 1987
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis in Sociological Focus
- Vol. 20 (1) , 45-59
- https://doi.org/10.1080/00380237.1987.10570517
Abstract
Drawing from the writings of Becker, Kanter and others, an investment model of the process of commitment to an organization is developed. The commitment process can be described as a funnel wherein commitment demands are gradually escalated as people invest more and more of their resources in the line of action sponsored by the organization. The utility of this model is illustrated through an analysis, based on observational data, of the commitment process as it occurs in Alcoholics Anonymous.Keywords
This publication has 29 references indexed in Scilit:
- Social Cocoons: Encapsulation and Identity Transformation Organizations*Sociological Inquiry, 1984
- Conversion to the world view of Alcoholics Anonymous: A refinement of conversion theoryQualitative Sociology, 1983
- Change of Heart: A Test of Some Widely Held Theories About Religious ConversionAmerican Journal of Sociology, 1977
- An Empirical Study of Theories of Organizational and Occupational CommitmentThe Journal of Social Psychology, 1975
- Preparation for Life in the SpiritUrban Life and Culture, 1974
- On Operationalizing the Concept of CommitmentSocial Forces, 1973
- Five Factors Crucial to the Growth and Spread of a Modern Religious MovementJournal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 1968
- Greedy OrganisationsEuropean Journal of Sociology, 1967
- Notes on the Concept of CommitmentAmerican Journal of Sociology, 1960
- Problems of Inference and Proof in Participant ObservationAmerican Sociological Review, 1958