Attachment theory at work: A review and directions for future research

• Published date: 01 February 2018
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/job.2204
• Date: 01 February 2018

THE JOB ANNUAL REVIEW

Attachment theory at work: A review and directions for future

research

Jeffrey Yip

1

|Kyle Ehrhardt

2

|Hunter Black

1

|Dayna O. Walker

3

1

Claremont Graduate University, Claremont,

California, U.S.A.

2

University of Colorado Denver, Denver,

Colorado, U.S.A.

3

University of Detriot Mercy, Detroit,

Michigan, U.S.A.

Correspondence

Jeffrey Yip, Division of Behavioral and

Organizational Sciences, Claremont Graduate

University, 150 E. 10th St., Claremont 91711,

California, U.S.A.

Email: jeffrey.yip@cgu.edu

Summary

The influence of attachment theory on organizational scholarship is growing, with more articles

published on the subject in the past 5 years than the preceding 25 years combined. Prior research

and reviews have primarily focused on attachment styles and their relationship with organiza-

tional outcomes. However, in the past 5 years, organizational scholars have begun exploring

new directions in attachment research such as situational influences on attachment states,

attachment as a moderating variable, and attachment as a dynamic process in various forms of

work relationships. These advances offer new directions for organizational behavior research,

notably through the lens of the attachment behavioral system—an innate psychological system

that accounts for why and how people seek support from others. In this paper, we provide an

overarching framework for understanding attachment dynamics in organizations and review

key findings from attachment theory research on dyadic relationships, group dynamics, and the

employee–organization relationship. We further discuss promising areas for future organizational

research on attachment, as well as methodological developments in the priming of attachment

states.

KEYWORDS

attachment theory, employment relationships, leadership, mentoring, work relationships

1|INTRODUCTION

The propensity to make strong emotional bonds to

particular individuals [is] a basic component of human

nature (John Bowlby).

Why and how do people develop emotional bonds with others at

work? What are the characteristics, antecedents, and consequences of

these bonds? How do conditions or events in the work environment

influence the development, maintenance, and/or dissolution of the

bonds between employees or work‐related entities? These questions

share two things in common. First, they are each fundamental ques-

tions in the study of organizational behavior, cutting across important

research domains such as leadership, mentoring, group processes,

and the employee–organization relationship. Second, each of these

questions can be informed by attachment theory.

Attachment theory is an established theory of human relationships

and among the most influential theories in psychology (Finkel &

Simpson, 2015). The theory is centrally concerned with the cognitive–

affective processes of “attachment,”defined as the human propensity

to seek and develop affectional bonds to particular others (Bowlby,

1969). Although Bowlby (1969) was concerned with parent–child rela-

tionships, research on adult attachment has identified similar attach-

ment dynamics in organizational relationships (Hazan & Shaver, 1990).

This includes relationships with leaders, coworkers, mentors, and the

organization as sources of social support and membership.

Attachment theory provides a distinct relational perspective to the

study of organizational behavior. In particular, researchers have

established how attachment dynamics in work relationships are

directly related to valued organizational outcomes such as follower

proactivity (Wu & Parker, 2017), ethical decision making (Chugh, Kern,

Zhu, & Lee, 2014), effective negotiation behavior (Lee & Thompson,

2011), and creative problem solving (Mikulincer, Shaver, & Rom,

2011). In contrast, when a person's attachment needs are not fulfilled,

negative consequences tend to follow. In a work context, this includes

increased stress (Schirmer & Lopez, 2001), higher reports of burnout

(Littman‐Ovadia, Oren, & Lavy, 2013), and increased turnover (Tziner,

Ben‐David, Oren, & Sharoni, 2014), among other undesired outcomes.

In short, perspectives from attachment theory have informed a

range of organizational phenomena. What's more, though, is that the

Received: 15 October 2015 Revised: 13 April 2017 Accepted: 5 May 2017

DOI: 10.1002/job.2204

J Organ Behav. 2018;39:185–198. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/job 185