Psychologist Eli Finkel spent years studying intimate relationships, to make a pretty unconventional career move, shifting to join the Kellogg School as a management professor and explore how scientific insights into our romantic ties might also apply in the context of work. Kellogg Insight recently reported on his research suggesting possible takeaways from relationship research that entrepreneurs could put to use at the office.

Be Careful Who You Commit Too
Research shows that the street between quality and commitment is actually two way. Being more committed to a relationship also means people tend to view it with rose-tinted glasses, emphasizing the good bits and overlooking the rockier aspects.

“There’s a lot of research in the marriage literature, the dating literature, and the close-relationships literature more generally that really emphasizes the importance of commitment,” Finkel explains. More committed partners tend “to overweight the extent to which their relationship is better than everyone else’s relationship,” he says.

Does something similar occur at work? If you’re dedicated to your company are you more likely to overlook its faults? The question is still being explored by research, but Finkel cautions that there are potential dangers if we do tend to let our commitment color our judgement of our work. “Feeling like the place you work has value, and is the sort of place you’d like to stay, is probably healthy for people on average,” says Finkel. So long as a job is a good fit for your skillset, pays fairly, and aligns with your worldview, feeling motivated to see your organization in its best light may be key for finding meaning in what you do and flourishing professionally. But there’s a point where motivated cognition may become self-defeating for employees. “There are personal risks to employees who are blindly committed to a company that is not committed to them,” says Finkel.

Want to know more? Read the full article “For Better or For Work” on Kellog Insight