Women as breadwinners: The gendered nature of side-bets and their influence on correctional officers' commitment to the organization

Increasingly, researchers have examined workplace factors that influence correctional officers' commitment to the organization, yet few have assessed the way in which factors outside the immediate work environment influence attachment or whether the effects differ for male and female officers. Making use of Becker's concept of side-bets, this study examined the gendered nature of outside influences on correctional officers' commitment to remain with the prison organization until retirement. The findings suggest that some measures of side-bets function differently for male and female officers, with those side-bets representing family affiliation and financial responsibility significantly influencing female, but not male officers' level of continuance commitment.