Rethinking Company Loyalty Summary

Much about April Leatherwood's attitude towards her career and employer, the Memphis Police, contrasts with the predictions by Johnson's article, "Rethinking Company Loyalty" (2005). For example, Johnson's expectation of modern employees is that they are more likely to be loyal to their own careers than to the employer (Johnson, 2005), yet April was exactly the opposite, showing such complete dedication to the police department and cause that she risked her health, mental state, relationships, and even her life to fulfill her duty to the absolute best of her abilities. Indeed, she literally lived as if she were a drug addict, all day, every day for an entire year, while often witnessing disturbing events, because, she says, "she loved the camaraderie of the department and its protect-and-serve mission" (Brusseau, 2012).

Johnson posits that modern workers are disillusioned by companies that demand steadfast, unquestioning loyalty

in exchange for simply signing paychecks, yet clearly there are fields that still know how to inspire loyalty in employees, such as the noble causes of the police. Clearly, April truly believed in the cause of the team backing her, and its strength as a cohesive unit, rather than seeing herself as simply drumming up job experience before moving on to the next stage.
In the article, Johnson quotes a consultant, Joyce Gioia, as saying that "employees can give their employers 100 percent and provide great performance while furthering their careers" (Johnson, 2005), which intends to re-evaluate the concept of mutual loyalty to ensure organizations can adapt to the changing climate of modern workplace culture.

In addition, she goes on to provide potential strategies to managers that facilitate a mutually beneficial alignment between employees' career goals and company goals. In April's case, however, it appears the Memphis police force already is a good example of reciprocal employee and employer loyalty, since she was willing to essentially sacrifice a year of her life for the force. From her case, in fact, it does not sound as if she only suffered the gruelling stress of living on the street just so that she could get a raise or promotion. Rather, while she did indeed receive a promotion to detective, from the reading it seems more of a bonus that she wasn't expecting than the reason for her

dedication.
"So it’s uncomfortable. It’s very scary. … I was always on edge" (Johnson, 2005), and yet, when asked whether she would go through that gruelling year again, April Leatherwood quickly said she would. Her reason was not because of the promotion she received, and not for money or status, but "Because it taught me a lot about me, a lot about life. I live by 'everything happens for a reason'" (Johnson, 2005). From this, despite the changing dynamics between modern employers and their employees, organizations like the police, with their very human mission to improve the world for real people, still strongly inspire loyalty and long-term commitment from their employees. Furthermore, people who become dedicated police officers are linked to the police force through those common values. Ultimately, April and her employer, the Memphis Police, had her career and advancement aligned, and her work was challenging and autonomous, as suggested in Johnson's article. Moreover, the relationships between members of the force seem to be thought of almost as family by April, as she speaks about their goal with reverence, and Johnson's article does maintain that employee loyalty stems from a focus on relationships. Indeed, her fellow officer clearly feels the same way, saying of April after she pulled out of the program, weary and depressed: "she will be protected at all costs" (Johnson, 2005).
References:
Brusseau, J. (2012). Business Ethics. Retrieved from http://jsmith.cis.byuh.edu/books/business-ethics
Goetz, K. (2009, September 8). A year of living dangerously takes a toll on undercover Memphis officer. Retrieved from https://www.policeone.com/women-officers/articles/1882182-A-year-of-living-dangerously-takes-a-toll-on-undercover-Memphis-officer
Johnson, L. K. (2005). Rethinking company loyalty. Harvard Management Update, 10(3), http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/rethinking-company-loyalty.