Loyalty

Loyalty is a term used to describe an individual's orientation toward something or someone, where that orientation is characterized by faithful adherence, devotion, allegiance, commitment, and a merging or overlap between the individual's interests and those of the target of the loyalty. Loyalty can be extended to individuals, such as leaders, partners, spouses, friends, coworkers, or family, or it can be extended to groups or categories, such as companies, religions, volunteer organizations, professional societies, or countries. Loyalty can also occur with respect to ideals or principles, such as justice, fairness, freedom, honesty, equality, honor, and truth. This entry looks at these different kinds of loyalty and discusses related dilemmas and future research directions.