IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/inm/ororsc/v24y2013i1p226-245.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Athletes, Best Friends, and Social Activists: An Integrative Model Accounting for the Role of Identity in Organizational Identification

Author

Listed:
  • Shelley L. Brickson

    (University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607)

Abstract

Organizational identification links together organizational and member identity, yet we currently lack theory explicating the role of organizational and member identity variations in members' evaluations of organizations as identification targets. In this theoretical paper, I outline a model of organizational identification that aims to do three things—account for the role of identity in the identification process, integrate and extend disparate approaches to organizational identification, and illuminate social comparison processes underlying members' organizational evaluations. The model proposes that members undertake two identity comparisons to assess the value of organizational membership for identification purposes. In one, they compare the organization's current identity with their own identity, allowing them to assess the organization's ability to meet their motivation for self-continuity. In the other, they compare the organization's current identity with its expected identity, allowing them to assess the organization's ability to meet their motivation for self-esteem. After introducing the identity congruence framework, I apply to it the identity orientation lens to make specific predictions about how organizational and member identity shape the nature and outcomes of the specific social comparison content drawn upon in each of the two identity comparisons. This analysis reveals how the metrics used to evaluate organizations fundamentally vary by organizational and member identity. Implications for organizational studies are addressed, including those related to organizing and stakeholder theory.

Suggested Citation

  • Shelley L. Brickson, 2013. "Athletes, Best Friends, and Social Activists: An Integrative Model Accounting for the Role of Identity in Organizational Identification," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(1), pages 226-245, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ororsc:v:24:y:2013:i:1:p:226-245
    DOI: 10.1287/orsc.1110.0730
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1110.0730
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1287/orsc.1110.0730?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lee, Angela Y. & Aaker, Jennifer L. & Gardner, Wendi L., 2000. "The Pleasures and Pains of Distinct Self-Construals: The Role of Interdependence in Regulatory Focus," Research Papers 1577r, Stanford University, Graduate School of Business.
    2. Tyler, Tom R. & Blader, Steven L., 2002. "Autonomous vs. comparative status: Must we be better than others to feel good about ourselves?," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 89(1), pages 813-838, September.
    3. Brayden G. King & Teppo Felin & David A. Whetten, 2010. "Perspective---Finding the Organization in Organizational Theory: A Meta-Theory of the Organization as a Social Actor," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 21(1), pages 290-305, February.
    4. Greta Hsu & Michael T. Hannan, 2005. "Identities, Genres, and Organizational Forms," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 16(5), pages 474-490, October.
    5. C. Marlene Fiol, 2002. "Capitalizing on Paradox: The Role of Language in Transforming Organizational Identities," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 13(6), pages 653-666, December.
    6. Johnson, Russell E. & Selenta, Christopher & Lord, Robert G., 2006. "When organizational justice and the self-concept meet: Consequences for the organization and its members," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 99(2), pages 175-201, March.
    7. David M. Sluss & Blake E. Ashforth, 2008. "How Relational and Organizational Identification Converge: Processes and Conditions," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 19(6), pages 807-823, December.
    8. Peter Foreman & David A. Whetten, 2002. "Members' Identification with Multiple-Identity Organizations," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 13(6), pages 618-635, December.
    9. Herbert C. Kelman, 1958. "Compliance, identification, and internalization three processes of attitude change," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 2(1), pages 51-60, March.
    10. James N. Baron, 2004. "Employing identities in organizational ecology," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 13(1), pages 3-32, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Mirdita N. Elstak & Mamta Bhatt & Cees B. M. Van Riel & Michael G. Pratt & Guido A. J. M. Berens, 2015. "Organizational Identification during a Merger: The Role of Self-Enhancement and Uncertainty Reduction Motives during a Major Organizational Change," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(1), pages 32-62, January.
    2. Michal Carrington & Detlev Zwick & Benjamin Neville, 2019. "Activism and Abdication on the Inside: The Effect of Everyday Practice on Corporate Responsibility," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 160(4), pages 973-999, December.
    3. Fiedler, Marina & Sarstedt, Marko, 2014. "Influence of community design on user behaviors in online communities," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(11), pages 2258-2268.
    4. Sina Grosskopf & Andreas Landes & Christoph Barmeyer, 2022. "A Black-Box yet To Be Opened: Multi-level Processes During Migrants’ Organizational Socialization," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 23(4), pages 1875-1902, December.
    5. Lakshmi Ramarajan & Ida E. Berger & Itay Greenspan, 2017. "Multiple Identity Configurations: The Benefits of Focused Enhancement for Prosocial Behavior," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 28(3), pages 495-513, June.
    6. Erum Shaikh & Mohsen Brahmi & Pham Chien Thang & Waqas Ahmad Watto & Ta Thi Nguyet Trang & Nguyen Thi Loan, 2022. "Should I Stay or Should I Go? Explaining the Turnover Intentions with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Organizational Identification and Organizational Commitment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-16, May.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. C. Marlene Fiol & Elaine Romanelli, 2012. "Before Identity: The Emergence of New Organizational Forms," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 23(3), pages 597-611, June.
    2. Wæraas, Arild, 2017. "The external presentation of organizational identity orientation: A study of employment advertisement s 1975-2015," Working Paper Series 07-2017, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, School of Economics and Business.
    3. Robin Stevens & Nathalie Moray & Johan Bruneel, 2015. "The Social and Economic Mission of Social Enterprises: Dimensions, Measurement, Validation, and Relation," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 39(5), pages 1051-1082, September.
    4. Peng, George Z. & Beamish, Paul W., 2019. "Subnational FDI Legitimacy and Foreign Subsidiary Survival," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 25(3), pages 1-1.
    5. Greta Hsu & Kimberly D. Elsbach, 2013. "Explaining Variation in Organizational Identity Categorization," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(4), pages 996-1013, August.
    6. Robert Heckert, 2019. "Challenges for a Multiple Identity Organization: A Case Study of the Dutch Blood Supply Foundation," Corporate Reputation Review, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 22(3), pages 101-119, August.
    7. Jennings, Jennifer E. & Jennings, P. Devereaux & Greenwood, Royston, 2009. "Novelty and new firm performance: The case of employment systems in knowledge-intensive service organizations," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 24(4), pages 338-359, July.
    8. Russo, Angeloantonio & Vurro, Clodia & Nag, Rajiv, 2019. "To have or to be? The interplay between knowledge structure and market identity in knowledge-based alliance formation," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(3), pages 571-583.
    9. Jeffrey S. Bednar & Benjamin M. Galvin & Blake E. Ashforth & Ella Hafermalz, 2020. "Putting Identification in Motion: A Dynamic View of Organizational Identification," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 31(1), pages 200-222, January.
    10. Sangho Chae & Thomas Y. Choi & Daesik Hur, 2017. "Buyer Power and Supplier Relationship Commitment: A Cognitive Evaluation Theory Perspective," Journal of Supply Chain Management, Institute for Supply Management, vol. 53(2), pages 39-60, April.
    11. Laura Toschi & Elisa Ughetto & Andrea Fronzetti Colladon, 2023. "The identity of social impact venture capitalists: exploring social linguistic positioning and linguistic distinctiveness through text mining," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 60(3), pages 1249-1280, March.
    12. Wijnberg, Nachoem M., 2011. "Classification systems and selection systems: The risks of radical innovation and category spanning," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 27(3), pages 297-306, September.
    13. Mary Tripsas, 2009. "Technology, Identity, and Inertia Through the Lens of “The Digital Photography Company”," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 20(2), pages 441-460, April.
    14. David G. McKendrick & Michael T. Hannan, 2014. "Oppositional Identities and Resource Partitioning: Distillery Ownership in Scotch Whisky, 1826–2009," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 25(4), pages 1272-1286, August.
    15. Jaime Gómez & Raquel Orcos & Sergio Palomas, 2014. "The evolving patterns of competition after deregulation: the relevance of institutional and operational factors as determinants of rivalry," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 24(4), pages 905-933, September.
    16. J. Cameron Verhaal & Olga M. Khessina & Stanislav D. Dobrev, 2015. "Oppositional Product Names, Organizational Identities, and Product Appeal," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 26(5), pages 1466-1484, October.
    17. Daphne Demetry, 2019. "How Organizations Claim Authenticity: The Coproduction of Illusions in Underground Restaurants," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 30(5), pages 937-960, September.
    18. Fabrizio Perretti & Giacomo Negro & Alessandro Lomi, 2008. "E Pluribus Unum : Framing, Matching, and Form Emergence in U.S. Television Broadcasting, 1940--1960," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 19(4), pages 533-547, August.
    19. Lorenzo Frangi & Tingting Zhang, 2022. "Global union federations on affiliates’ websites: Forces shaping unions’ global organisational identity," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 60(2), pages 444-466, June.
    20. Steve Maguire & Nelson Phillips, 2008. "‘Citibankers’ at Citigroup: A Study of the Loss of Institutional Trust after a Merger," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(2), pages 372-401, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:inm:ororsc:v:24:y:2013:i:1:p:226-245. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Asher (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/inforea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.