Why Your Boss Wants to Know Your Love Language
Goldberg, E. (2022, March 4). Why Your Boss Wants to Know Your Love Language. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/04/business/employee-satisfaction-remote-work.html UTL Link: http://myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fblogs-podcasts-websites%2Fwhy-your-boss-wants-know-love-language%2Fdocview%2F2635454155%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D14771
Emma Goldberg writes: "Love languages, a method of understanding how people prefer to give and receive affection, were introduced in a 1992 self-help book by the marriage counselor Gary Chapman. These categories were later adapted for the workplace by Dr. Chapman and the psychologist Paul White and became 'languages of appreciation.' ... [I]n recent decades, employers have learned that they have to supplement paychecks with other sources of motivation, especially when they’re asking workers to spend long hours on the job and when there’s a labor shortage. Workers want reassurance that their bosses and teammates like them. The benefits of appreciation are manifold: lower turnover, fewer days missed, even a reduction in on-the-job accidents. Two-thirds of workers in a 2017 survey said that they would probably leave their jobs because of a lack of appreciation, according to the staffing firm Office Team."
"But affirmation typically benefits workers who are more vocal about their accomplishments or those who are able to drop family or other personal obligations to pick up last-minute professional tasks. And the stakes of recognition aren’t just about improving people’s moods but about who gets advancement opportunities and the higher pay that comes with them. ... [P]raise is not evenly distributed among different worker demographics. A Stanford study of performance reviews published in 2020 found that men were more likely than women to be given 'standout' descriptions like 'genius' or 'game-changer.' They were also more likely to be depicted as “ideal workers” who prioritized professional over personal responsibilities. These perceptions, the researchers noted, most likely make it easier to justify promotions."
Additional Information
Chapman, G. & White, P. (2019). The 5 languages of appreciation in the workplace empowering organizations by encouraging people. Northfield Publishing. https://librarysearch.library.utoronto.ca/permalink/01UTORONTO_INST/14bjeso/alma991106986685606196 UTL eBook Link: https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/lib/utoronto/detail.action?docID=5606507
Correll, S.J., et al. (2020). Inside the Black Box of Organizational Life: The Gendered Language of Performance Assessment. American Sociological Review 85(6), 1022-1050. https://doi.org/10.1177/0003122420962080 UTL Link: https://doi-org.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/10.1177/0003122420962080
Correll, S.J. & Simard, C. (2016, April 29). Research: Vague Feedback Is Holding Women Back. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2016/04/research-vague-feedback-is-holding-women-back
Pendell, R. (2021, November 10). 5 Ways Managers Can Stop Employee Turnover. Gallup. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/357104/ways-managers-stop-employee-turnover.aspx
Harter, J.K. et al. (2013). The Relationship Between Engagement at Work and Organizational Outcomes. Gallup. https://employeeengagement.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/2012-Q12-Meta-Analysis-Research-Paper.pdf
Hamdani, M. & Biagi, S. (2022, February 1). Providing Performance Feedback to Support Neurodiverse Employees. MIT Sloan Management Review. https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/providing-performance-feedback-to-support-neurodiverse-employees/
Photo Source: Schneider, L. (2016). Research: Vague Feedback Is Holding Women Back [Illustration]. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2016/04/research-vague-feedback-is-holding-women-back


















