A committed workforce is critical to the success of any organization. While there was a great deal of debate on how to best describe commitment, one model that attracted a significant following is the Three Component Model (TCM) developed by Meyer and Allen (1988). While it may be argued that the model is a mixed model combining attitudinal and behavioral measures, researchers have largely agreed that the scale that measures affective commitment is both valid and reliable. How commitment is developed in a workforce is of considerable interest. A minority of researchers have considered a variety of antecedents that contribute to the formation of organizational commitment (Cohen, 1993). One aspect of the employment experience is that of an involuntary job loss. It was unclear whether job loss would affect commitment. This study evaluated a population of individuals who were selected from an area that had experienced significant employment losses. All the subjects were part of a uniform pre-employment class prior to gaining employment in the same organization. This study demonstrated that individuals who have lost employment have similar levels of commitment compared to individuals who have not suffered a job loss. Employee demographics and union membership were found to be insignificant in the formation of affective commitment. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]