Social Identity Theory and the Organization

Abstract

Abstract Organizational identification has long been recognized as a critical construct in the literature on organizational behavior, affecting both the satisfaction of the individual and the effectiveness of the organization (Brown, 1969; Hall, Schneider, & Nygren, 1970; Lee, 1971; O’Reilly & Chatman, 1986; Patchen, 1970; Rotondi, 1975). However, as discussed below, theoretical and empirical work has often confused organizational identification with related constructs such as organizational commitment and internalization and with affect and behaviors, which are more appropriately seen as antecedents and/or consequences of identification.