Abstract
The paper examines two propositions in the context of the UK public house (pub) industry. It uses an established empirical model to explain the relationship between job satisfaction, organisational commitment and the intention to stay. The findings are in line with previous research, but display an unusual characteristic in that pay satisfaction is isolated from job satisfaction and commitment. The second proposition concerns the foci of commitment. The study tests the notion that commitment to the industry is an alternative to organisational commitment. The findings are extremely supportive of this notion and are interpreted as evidence of occupational community. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.