“It is all about me” – an investigation of interns’ workplace commitment

Purpose This paper explores interns’ commitment through the lens of social exchange theory, examining exchange rules to understand how the employment context (internship) influences the nature and targets of workplace commitment. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative longitudinal study involved conducting 103 semi-structured interviews with 20 interns at three professional service firms in the UK. The interviews were conducted at five intervals distributed throughout the internship. Findings Interns’ multiple commitments were predominantly driven by self-interest motives. They experienced rational exchange relationships, viewing their commitment as a prepayment for expected advantages from workplace targets. Consequently, commitment to local targets (workgroups) was more salient than to global targets (organisations). Practical implications This has significant implications for attracting and retaining interns and younger generations who represent the future talent pool. To retain talent and enhance commitment in temporary settings such as internships, personal and work-related demands, including job benefits and learning and development opportunities, must be aligned. Employer branding should emphasise this alignment, while local targets play a key role in creating support systems that help individuals achieve their goals. Originality/value This paper is among the first to explore the rules of social exchange relations beyond the predominant view linking commitment solely to reciprocal relationships. It contributes to commitment theory by examining how the temporality of the work context affects social exchange relations and, consequently, individuals’ commitment.