Building, Maintaining, and Breaking Attachments in Today’s Organizations

Attachments, or the relatively enduring bonds that tie organizational members to other entities, are fundamental to organizations. Over the past several decades, organizational scholars have explored how individuals attach to organizations, colleagues, and roles, often through the perspectives of commitment, identification, and belonging. However, research to date has been limited in several ways. First, most research on attachments assumes that individuals attach to organizations or people; much less has considered that individuals may also attach to ideas, material objects, or individuals outside of work. Second, attachment research has typically focused on the formation of attachments; little attention has been paid to attachment maintenance, rupture, or repair. In this panel symposium, we bring together a group of experts who have studied attachments from various perspectives. By drawing on examples of their own research, these panelists will identify and challenge many of the assumptions underlying the current understanding of attachments in organizations. In addition, through a moderated discussion, the panelists will also highlight important tensions, debates, and unanswered questions about attachments in organizations -- thereby illuminating fruitful areas for future research.