Hangovers and Honeymoons?
Boswell's research uncovers job-change emotional cycle
Hangovers and honeymoons aren't typically synonymous with business. But research by Assistant Professor of Wendy Boswell uncovers a pattern she calls the "honeymoon-hangover effect."
Boswell's term refers to the cycle of emotions people go through leading up to and following job changes. Her research is based on a five-year study, which surveyed 5,000 managers. It found that job change is generally preceded by a decrease in job satisfaction, which might be expected. But the survey also revealed that job satisfaction significantly increases after the change in a "honeymoon" period before tapering off in the years following the change in a "hangover" effect.
"Our results provide support for a growing body of research that suggests a more complex turnover-job satisfaction connection than a simple sequence of dissatisfaction followed by change," Boswell notes. "In particular, the present study provides the first evidence of stable and predictable attitude changes specifically related to the temporal proximity of past and future job changes."
Being cognizant of this honeymoon-hangover effect can be particularly helpful for organizations evaluating their corporate climate, Boswell says. For example, she says if slightly decreasing satisfaction among newcomers after joining is a predictable pattern, then it is important for organizations not to overreact to these changes.
If, as she suspects, her finding also apply to internal movement within a company, then, conversely, employees who receive promotions and enter new roles without showing the expected increase in job satisfaction might signify a larger, consistent problem within the organization.
-Staff Reports
