Retaining a talented and engaged workforce is essential for organizational success. In recent years, organizations have been grappling with rising turnover rates, prompting them to explore strategies to slow this process. One approach to reducing turnover is by strengthening employees’ affective commitment to the organization. Affective commitment is the emotional attachment that employees feel with their organization. This article (Panaccio et al., 2023) delves into the critical role that leaders play in fostering this sense of commitment among their teams.
WHEN LEADERS PROMOTE THE ORGANIZATION
In two studies, the researchers explored the importance of something called SPO – or supervisor promotion of the organization. SPO occurs when supervisors praise the organization, preach the organization’s goals and values, and foster a positive perception of organizational culture among employees.
The research findings revealed that SPO was associated with stronger affective commitment, thereby lowering employee turnover rates. Further, when supervisors were perceived as agreeable, SPO had an even stronger positive impact on affective commitment. This suggests that both SPO and supervisor agreeableness play significant roles in influencing employee retention. In essence, supervisors who actively promote the organization and demonstrate agreeableness can effectively cultivate a more committed and engaged workforce.
PRACTICAL ADVICE FOR ORGANIZATIONS
The authors propose several key strategies for fostering employee commitment. First, organizations should emphasize the importance of supervisor promotion of the organization (SPO) by explaining to supervisors how it can influence employee commitment. Additionally, organizations can invest in training supervisors and managers to become effective advocates for the company. This training would equip supervisors with the necessary skills to communicate their positive experiences and feelings about the organization to their followers in a clear and engaging manner.
Additionally, organizations could emphasize the importance of supervisors’ alignment with the organization’s goals and values. When supervisors genuinely embrace the organization’s mission, they are more likely to enthusiastically share their positive experiences and promote the organization to others within the company. Therefore, hiring and promoting individuals who share the organization’s values can amplify the likelihood of supervisors becoming advocates for the company.
Finally, organizations can promote employee commitment by cultivating a more supportive environment. This can be achieved by encouraging supervisors to accommodate employees’ work-life balance needs and to properly acknowledge employee efforts. These actions can significantly enhance employees’ perceptions of managerial agreeableness, thereby boosting commitment and reducing turnover.
Panaccio, A., Tang, W.-G., & Vandenberghe, C. (2023). Agreeable supervisors promoting the organization—Implications for employee commitment and retention. Journal of Personnel Psychology, 22(3), 146–157.
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