PERSONNEL PSYCHOUXJY 1995,48 WHO APPRECIATES FAMILY-RESPONSIVE HUMAN RESOURCE POLICIES: THE IMPACT OF FAMILY- FRIENDLY POLICIES ON THE ORGANIZATIONAL ATTACHMENT OF PARENTS AND NON-PARENTS STEVEN L.GROVER School of Business Indiana University KAREN J. CROOKER School of Business University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee The 1991 General Social Survey of 745 randomly selected workers in the United States assessed the impact of family-responsive human resource policies, such as parental leave, flexible schedules, and child care as- sistance on organizational attachment. Employees who had access to family-responsive policies showed significantly greater organizational committment and expressed significantly lower intention to quit their jobs. Additionally, child care information referral had a greater im- pact on affective commitment among employees eligible for that ben- efit. The data supported the theory that offering assistance to employ- ees in need symbolizes concern for employees and positively infiuences attachment to the organization. The contrasting theoretical explana- tion—that people are more attached to companies when they individu- ally benefit from progressive human resource policies—received con- siderably less support. The practical implication of the study for human resource management professionals is that providing comprehensive family-friendly policies may have a positive impact beyond the individ- ual employees who tap these benefits. President Bill Qinton's signing of the Family Medical Leave Act in 1993 reflected a shift in U.S. beliefs about work and family. This shift has been fueled by dramatic transformations of both the American work- force and the American family over the past couple of decades. Both parents work outside the home in three-quarters of families with chil- dren, including over half of families with children less than a year old (U.S. Bureau of Census, 1989). The now-common practice of mothers and fathers participating in both the outside work domain and the home domain produces difficulty in coordinating work and home lives, includ- ing arranging for child care, dealing with childbirth absence from work. Correspondence and requests for reprints should be addressed to Steven L. Grover, School of Business, Indiana University, Bloomington IN 47405. COPYRIGHT © 1995 PERSONNEL PSYCHOIXKJY, INC 271