To Be(long) or Not to Be(long): Social Identification in Organizational Contexts

Abstract

In the past few years, ideas of Social Identity Theory and Self-Categorization Theory have been successfully applied to the organizational domain. In this article, the authors provide an overview of these recent developments and present a concept of social identification in organizational contexts, based on these theories. The assumptions of this framework are that (a) social identification in organizational contexts is a multifaceted concept consisting of different dimensions and foci (or targets), (b) higher levels of identification are related to higher productivity and more positive work-related attitudes, and (c) identification is a very flexible concept that is linked to the situational context. The authors present the results of a series of field and laboratory studies in which the proposed relationships are analyzed and, in the main, confirmed.

Sustainable travel and team dynamics among mobile health professionals

“…There was a consensus that the electric bikes had brought the team together in other waysincreasing their motivation (in the ways described by van Dick et al, 2005) and their socialising outside of work.…”

“…Experimental interventions which increase awareness of the distinctiveness of a sub-group are likely to increase social identification, which may, in turn, increase "engagement and productivity" (van Dick et al, 2005). Within groups, leaders may emerge who embody the prototypical norms.…”

Effects of Teachers’ Organizational Justice Perceptions on Intention to Quit: Mediation Role of Organizational Identification

“…Both social identity theory and self-categorization theory propose two preconditions for the actualization of group behaviors and selfcategorization: category salience and identification. Identification refers to individuals' expression of their identities as a member of a specific group, while category salience refers to accessibility of a category within a person's cognitive processes and differentiation from other groups (Van Dick et al, 2005). From this perspective, organizational identification is a form of social identification (Mael & Ashforth, 1992), and organizations can answer an individual's question of "Who am I?"…”

Social Identity in a Service Organization: A Scale’s Content and Construct Validity Social Identity Scale

“…The authors took into account the contributions of Van Dick, Wagner, Stellmacher, Christ, and Tissington (2005) in the process of developing SOIS-12. According to such authors, social identity has three components: (1) cognitive, that refers to individuals' knowing that they belong to a particular social group; (2) affective, that refers to the feelings associated to being part of a particular social group; and (3) evaluative, which is related to the positive or negative judgments they make about the group we belong to (collective self-esteem).…”