Want to avoid layoffs? Commitment to mission of your employer may help
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Workers with an emotional commitment to the goals and mission of their employer may be less likely to be laid off, a new study suggests.
The study published online by Human Resource Management found that employees with a high level of “affective organizational commitment” were less likely to be laid off than those with lesser commitment, the Washington Post reports.
Job performance was still the strongest factor in determining layoffs. But average employees got a boost if they had a good attitude and strong commitment, according to the Post summary of the study.
The study tabulated responses from about 3,000 workers at an Australian bank who were asked about commitment, including questions about how much their employer inspired them and how much they care about its future.
In the next five years, about 5 percent of the workers were laid off.
The Post interviewed study co-author Chris Zatzick about the findings. “There’s a choice we make about how to spend our time at work,” Zatzick told the newspaper. Although performance may be the most important factor in keeping a job, “having a good attitude and being a good ‘citizen’ can protect you as well.”
