Developing multiple identifications through different social interactions at work

Abstract

The question of how employees' identifications with various foci at work (e.g., team, supervisor, or profession) develop and how they can be managed actively still remains largely unanswered. This is surprising, given the previously demonstrated benefits of employees' identifications for organizational outcomes. Building on the social validation framework, we propose that changes in different social interactions (social support and effective feedback from supervisors and co-workers) over time are apt to socially validate different provisional selves and thereby differentially foster identification with the supervisor, the team, and the profession. In a longitudinal study of 212 apprentices, who are newcomers to both the organization and the profession, we test this idea using latent change scores in a structural equation modelling approach. Supporting our hypotheses, we show that changes in social support from supervisors and co-workers are related to changes in supervisor and team identification. Increased feedback from co-workers, but not from supervisors, predicted increased professional identification.

Individual‐level Foci of Identification at Work: A Systematic Review of the Literature

“…Two studies in this sub‐cluster adopt ‘employee identification’ as an overarching concept to capture various organizationally bound identity targets, including coworker, workgroup (Cooper and Thatcher ) team, supervisor or profession (Horstmeier et al . ). A unique, extra‐organizational, perspective on identity foci is employee‐customer identity, ‘the extent to which employees self‐define and construct their identities in terms of their role relationships with customers’ (Anaza , p. 927).…”

“…Horstmeier et al . study foci relating to team, supervisor and profession); however, in the main, studies focused on single levels and foci. We first discuss narrow, organizationally situated foci (e.g.…”

Managing the interactions between multiple identities in inter-organizational collaborations: an identity work perspective

“…Not surprisingly, organisational identity researchers are increasingly calling for studies that go beyond examining one specific identification focus (Horstmeier et al, 2016) or "a single, clear identity target" (Horton & Griffin, 2017: 287) to cover the "gaps [that] remain in our understanding of how multiple identities interact" (Miscenko & van Day, 2016: 236). In IOC research, this translates into looking at how collaborative and non-collaborative identities interact in the constantly changing IOC context (e.g.…”

“…The processual perspective in organisations stresses the dynamic nature of organisational contexts (Hernes, 2014;Langley, Smallman, Tsoukas & van de Ven, 2013;Tsoukas & Chia, 2002), emphasising flow and change rather than stability and continuity (Chia, 1999;Yu, Garcia-Lorenzo & Kourti, 2017). Likewise, the processual perspective on identity (DeRue & Ashforth, 2010;Hogg & Terry, 2000;Shotter & Gergen, 1989) stresses its fluidity (Gioia, Schultz & Corley, 2000;Haslam & Reicher, 2006), defining identity as provisional, temporary, negotiated and contested through ongoing social interactions (Alvesson, Ashcraft & Thomas, 2008;Horstmeier et al, 2016;Horton & Griffin, 2017;van Dick & Wagner, 2002).…”

“…Firstly, while the idea of multiple identities is generally accepted by IOC studies, as Horstmeier, Homan, Rosenauer & Voelpel (2016) suggested, studies look at one specific identification focus. As Horton & Griffin (2017) added, the emphasis remains on a single identity target.…”