Loyalty Expectations from Employers

Abstract

Within the study of Business Ethics, the topic of employee loyalty seems to have undergone thorough reflection, e.g. Ewin (1993), Haughey (1993), Pfeiffer (1992), Rosanas and Velilla (2003). Conversely, the other side of the coin has not been often considered: employer loyalty. Loyalty is a trait expected by both parties in a relationship of trust. Business relationships are relationships based on trust. Hence, as in all two-sided relationships the loyalty or disloyalty of one party boosts or mars the loyalty of the other party. Loyalty is a trait that enriches the humanity of the one who practices it (Mele, 2001). For this reason, it is important that employers also are encouraged to practice this virtue in order to develop themselves as better people humanly speaking. If they are not loyal, they do harm to themselves and also to the people who work for them by violating the mutual trust that ought to sustain the relationship. Besides this personal gain of becoming better persons, there is also an economic gain. If owners of businesses wish their employees to be loyal to them, they need to raise their levels of loyalty to their employees. They need to study deeply their business systems and remove elements of disloyalty that inhibit the productivity of the system because of gaps in meeting legitimate loyalty expectations of the people who work in the organization. Besides, employers are better persons if they are loyal employers. This paper examines the above propositions and attempts to identify the indicators of employer loyalty.