Impact of Attitudinal Homophily on Organizational Cynicism and Employee Loyalty through the Mediating Role of Organizational Politics

Abstract

The mediating role of perceived organizational politics has been examined in this research to determine how homophily affects organizational cynicism and employee loyalty. This research is based on the idea that people feel more comfortable around similar people. Similarities foster a feeling of affinity, leading to the formation of a relationship known as homophily. This principle asserts that individuals who interact tend to share similar attitudes, perspectives, educational backgrounds, and social standings. A quantitative methodology was employed in the current study. The model was verified by analyzing data from 300 respondents using SEM, following the two-step approach proposed by Andersen and Garbing (1988). The findings derived from the administration of survey questionnaires indicate that attitudinal homophily has an indirect adverse influence on organizational cynicism, while simultaneously having a favorable influence on employee loyalty. These effects are mediated by the perceived presence of organizational politics.