A new study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology suggests that managers frequently exploit loyal employees by assigning them additional, unpaid work.
Loyalty is typically seen as a virtue in the workplace. Loyal employees who show strong commitment to an organization are often valued for fostering a positive environment and boosting productivity. However, this research indicates loyal workers pay a price for their dedication.
The study, conducted by researchers Matthew L. Stanley, Christopher B. Neck, and Christopher P. Neck across four online experiments, found that managers view loyal employees as “that loyal individuals are readily willing to make personal sacrifices for the object of their loyalty,.” For this study’s purpose, “the object of their loyalty” is the company for which they work.
As a result, loyal workers are singled out for uncompensated tasks that benefit managers at the expense of employees.
Over 500 managers participated in hypothetical scenarios judging if an employee named John would accept unpaid overtime or uncomfortable duties unrelated to his job.
When John was labeled as loyal, managers predicted he would be more likely to take on these exploitative assignments. They did not make similar assumptions about John when he was described as dishonest, unfair, or was no characterized at all.
According to the study’s lead researcher Matthew L. Stanley, “Managers perceive loyal employees to be exploitable targets because they assume loyal workers’ readiness to make personal sacrifices. This creates a vicious circle where the more willingly employees participate in their own exploitation, the more loyalty managers attribute to them.”
Stanley suggests this phenomenon persists due to ingrained social assumptions. “Society has made progress prohibiting blatant exploitation. However, subtle forms remain pervasive, with certain groups disproportionately targeted. Our findings indicate loyal employees face higher risks of exploitation.”
Implications for Business Ethics
The study raises ethical issues about managerial duties and workplace culture. Management professor Christopher Neck said, “Managers have an ethical responsibility to avoid exploiting vulnerable employees, but often succumb to self-serving biases favoring short-term gains over long-term social costs.”
According to Neck, the business world frequently glorifies employee loyalty without emphasizing reciprocity from leadership.
“It’s considered admirable when workers make sacrifices for a company’s benefit. But the reciprocal obligation to protect loyal employees’ wellbeing is overlooked. This imbalanced dynamic primes the pump for exploitation,” the researchers write.
Stanley concurred, saying: “Loyalty is preached as a moral virtue, but abandoned when convenient. Companies talk about family and commitment while treating loyal employees as expendable resources. Leadership must align words with ethical actions.”
Related: Workplace Leaders Twelve Times More Likely to Have Psychopathic Traits
Does Loyalty Pay Off?
Unfortunately, not necessarily.
“As soon a you put people into an organizational context, as opposed to a personal relationship, they were now and organization, instead of a favor done as a friend as oppose to a coworker, that would change the dynamic in fundamental way,” says Professor Jeffrey Pfeffer of Stanford Graduate School of Business. “The person who received the favor to feel less obligated to return the favors imply because it was delivered in an organization setting.”
Pfeffer also says that this is because while personal relationships tend to be focused on the past, organizations are generally focused on the future. Moreover, favors done within an organization are rarely viewed as a favor, but rather, just part of the job.
Broader Impacts
This research spotlights pressures that subordinate employees face and identifies dynamics that allow unfair treatment to persist. Understanding how perceptions of loyalty detrimentally impact vulnerable workers could inspire positive reforms.
As Stanley concluded: “Workplace exploitation may never disappear entirely, but recognizing its roots facilitates progress. Organizations promoting authentic virtues like loyalty must guard against hypocrisy and ensure supporting policies protect those who need it most.”
The full study, “Loyal workers are selectively and ironically targeted for exploitation,” is available in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.
