Peculiarities of official status and activity as factors of official loyalty

Along with universal factors of arising and functioning of loyalty, there are also specific factors that influence the development of loyalties to the groups operating in particular spheres. The following specific factors of the formation of loyalties in the professional-official sphere are to be considered: the position of an officer in the service hierarchy and the degree of his participation in direct work with citizens and their situations. An empirical study of employees of the penitentiary system of Russia conducted using the author’s method of colour metaphors proved the connection of these factors with the peculiarities of official loyalty. The surveyed employees who work directly with citizens more often have established loyalties in the professional-official sphere. Loyalty groups satisfy a wider range of needs of field officers than those of management staff. Loyalty groups are also more often associated among field officers with the ideals of the public service. It’s explained by the emotive aspect in their official activity and the opportunity to observe its socially significant results. The research also revealed some differences in the structure of official loyalty, motivation of individual loyalties and their connections with the ideals of the public service among the officers of different levels in the service hierarchy. In particular, it has been established that among employees belonging to the category of executive staff all loyalty groups in the service sphere are associated with the ideals of the public service - legality, justice and common welfare. The majority of potential groups of service loyalty are also associated with the ideals of public service for line managerial officers.