Attachment styles in organizations: a study performed in a hospital

Recent research has shown that adult attachment theory may be usefully applied to the organizational domain. Our aim in this study was to analyze the influence of attachment styles (secure, avoidant, and anxious) on employees’ perceptions, attitudes, and intentions. Participants were nurses, working in a hospital in Italy. Models were tested in which the outcome variables were: turnover intentions, organizational citizenship behaviors, and burnout perceptions (exhaustion and cynicism). The mediational effect of affective organizational commitment was also evaluated. Results showed that attachment security was associated with lower levels of intentions to quit and lower levels of job burnout through the mediation of affective commitment. The secure style was also directly linked to helping behaviors in favor of supervisors and colleagues. Reliable relationships were also found for the avoidant style, which was associated with exhaustion and cynicism. The novelty of findings and usefulness of studying attachment in organizations are discussed.