Effects of role loss on work-related attitudes

Abstract

In this field study, some professionals in a large social services agency were reassigned to nonprofessional jobs. These reassignments provided an opportunity to study the impact of work role-loss disassociated from the loss of employment and salary. The sample consisted of 132 government-employed social workers, one half of whom were reassigned to nonprofessional jobs. Data show that work role-loss is associated with lower job satisfaction ( p < .001), lower work-related self-esteem ( p < .01), and higher scores on the measure of intention to leave the job ( p < .05). The work role-loss group did not exhibit lower professional role involvement or professional role identification, nor were they more likely to report work-related depression or lower life satisfaction than the nonreassigned group. In short, their discontent tended to focus on their new jobs but not on life in general or involvement and identification with their profession. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)