Relationship between Workplace Attachment and Communication Style among Private School Staff in Phnom Penh
DOI:
10.51601/ijersc.v7i5.1106Published:
2026-10-19Downloads
Abstract
The present research is the inaugural application of the conceptual framework of attachment theory to investigate the correlation between adult attachment styles in professional settings and employee communication methods. For over fifty years, researchers have utilized attachment theory as the preferred framework for analyzing attachment relationships throughout the lifespan and for comprehending attachment as a relational style that can be classified as secure (SEC), avoidant (AVO), ambivalent (AMB), disorganized (DIS)—in essence. The Adult Attachment in the Workplace (AAW) Scale categorized adult attachment styles in the workplace as secure, avoidant, and ambivalent; concurrently, employee communication styles were delineated into six domains—expressiveness (EXP), preciseness (PRE), verbal aggressiveness (VEA), questioningness (QES), emotionality (EMO), and impression manipulativeness (IMM)—assessed via the Communication Styles Inventory (CSI). Numerous regression models indicated that workplace connection substantially forecasted certain communication patterns. Nevertheless, the corresponding R2 values indicate that professionals ought not to depend on these results for organizational decision-making. Findings further revealed that Cronbach’s alpha for both the AAW Scale and CSI fell below the values documented in the existing literature. The influence of cross-cultural equivalence and the use of negative phrasing in Likert-scale items may have played a role in this discovery. Ultimately, the erratic factor structure of the AAW Scale evidenced by previous studies, together with the poor internal consistency of the AAW Scale subscales identified in the present research, could indicate an emerging paradigm change in attachment studies. Consequently, it will be particularly beneficial for scholars to ascertain in subsequent studies whether the bond with work associates differs qualitatively from that with family and love relationships.
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