ADULT ATTACHMENT AND WORKPLACE ROMANCE MOTIVES: AN EXAMINATION ... - UNCG

ADULT ATTACHMENT AND WORKPLACE ROMANCE MOTIVES: AN EXAMINATION OF THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP

DYNAMICS AND EMPLOYEE WORK OUTCOMES

A Thesis by

CASHER BELINDA

Submitted to the Graduate School at Appalachian State University

in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS

May 2017 Department of Psychology Department of Management

ADULT ATTACHMENT AND WORKPLACE ROMANCE MOTIVES: AN EXAMINATION OF THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP

DYNAMICS AND EMPLOYEE WORK OUTCOMES

A Thesis by

CASHER BELINDA May 2017

APPROVED BY:

Dr. James Westerman Chairperson, Thesis Committee

Dr. Rose Mary Webb Member, Thesis Committee

Dr. Doris Bazzini Member, Thesis Committee

Dr. Jacqueline Bergman Member, Thesis Committee

Dr. James Denniston Chairperson, Department of Psychology

Max C. Poole, Ph.D. Dean, Cratis D. Williams School of Graduate Studies

Copyright by Casher Belinda 2017 All Rights Reserved

Abstract ADULT ATTACHMENT AND WORKPLACE ROMANCE MOTIVES: AN EXAMINATION OF THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP

DYNAMICS AND EMPLOYEE WORK OUTCOMES Casher Belinda

B.A., The Pennsylvania State University M.A., Appalachian State University

Chairperson: Dr. James Westerman

The present research examined the predictive relationships between employees' attachment style, motives for engaging in workplace romances, and five individual-level work outcomes: job performance, job satisfaction, intrinsic job motivation, organizational commitment, and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). An Amazon Mechanical Turk survey was used to obtain self-report responses to measures of each predictor and outcome. All participants were employed and involved in a romantic relationship at their organization. Results indicated that attachment anxiety was positively related to one's decision to engage in a workplace romance due to an ego or a job-related motive. Attachment avoidance was positively related to one's decision to engage in a workplace romance due to a love motive. In turn, engaging in a workplace romance due to a love or an ego motive was associated with higher levels of job performance, intrinsic job motivation, and individual-directed OCBs (OCB-Is). The love motive was also associated with higher levels of job satisfaction. Engaging in a workplace romance due to a job-related motive was associated with lower levels of job performance,

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intrinsic job motivation, and OCB-Is but higher levels of organizational commitment and organization-directed OCBs (OCB-Os). Similarly, attachment anxiety was associated with lower levels of job performance and OCB-Is but higher levels of organizational commitment and OCB-Os. Attachment avoidance was positively associated with all study work outcomes. Results hold implications regarding the need for managers and employees to maintain an awareness of their relationship-oriented goals and behaviors, the utility of fraternization policies, and potential consequences of different types of workplace romances. Keywords: Attachment style, workplace romance motives, job performance, job satisfaction,

intrinsic job motivation, organizational commitment, organizational citizenship behavior

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Acknowledgments Many, many thanks are in order to my thesis chair, Dr. James Westerman, for teaching me how to walk the fine line between science and storytelling, helping me secure funding for data collection, and for his otherwise invaluable mentorship. I would also like to express my gratitude for the exceptional guidance that I received from the members of my thesis committee ? Drs. Rose Mary Webb, Doris Bazzini, and Jacqueline Bergman. You pushed me to achieve a level of quality in my research that I am sincerely proud of. Additional thanks are due to Dr. Shawn Bergman for teaching me how to perform and interpret the quantitative methods that enabled me to conduct my research effectively, as well as for helping me gain access to statistical software. Lastly, my family and dear friends and colleagues in the Industrial-Organizational Psychology and Human Resource Management Master's Program should know that they have my utmost appreciation for providing me with the support necessary to enjoy the process of producing this thesis.

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Table of Contents

Abstract .............................................................................................................................. iv Acknowledgments.............................................................................................................. vi List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... ix List of Figures .................................................................................................................... xi Foreword .......................................................................................................................... xiii Adult Attachment and Workplace Romance Motives .........................................................1 Attachment Theory ..............................................................................................................5 Workplace Romance Motives..............................................................................................8 Attachment Style, Workplace Romance Motives, and Employee Work Outcomes..........10 Attachment Style and Workplace Romance Motives ........................................................11 Workplace Romance Motives and Employee Work Outcomes ........................................14 Attachment Style and Employee Work Outcomes ............................................................23 Method ...............................................................................................................................33 Analytic Approach .............................................................................................................42 Results ................................................................................................................................43 Exploratory Analyses.........................................................................................................51 Discussion ..........................................................................................................................59 Practical Implications.........................................................................................................78 Limitations .........................................................................................................................81

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Directions for Future Research ..........................................................................................82 Conclusion .........................................................................................................................83 References ..........................................................................................................................85 Appendix A ......................................................................................................................122 Appendix B ......................................................................................................................123 Appendix C ......................................................................................................................125 Appendix D ......................................................................................................................126 Appendix E ......................................................................................................................127 Appendix F.......................................................................................................................128 Appendix G ......................................................................................................................129 Appendix H ......................................................................................................................130 Appendix I .......................................................................................................................131 Vita ...................................................................................................................................133

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