Identity and Identification: An Organizational Perspective Konstantin Korotov INSEAD

Identity An answer to the “Who Am I?” question Various meanings attached to a person by self and others (Gecas, 1982) that are based on people’s social roles and membership in various groups (social identities) and personal characteristics and traits (personal identities) (Asforth & Mael, 1989; Gecas, 1982; Ibarra, 1999)

Social Identity An individual’s self-concept stemming from membership in a social group (Tajfel & Turner, 1986; Turner, 1985) Membership in various groups leads to a variety of social identities linked to various memberships (Dutton, Dukerich, and Harquail, 1994)

Organizational Identification One of the forms of an individual’s attachment to an organization (Bamber & Iyer, 2002) As a specific form of social identification, it refers to seeing oneself as a part of an organization, conceptualizing oneself in terms of membership in this organization

Organizational Identification Enacting self-perceptions related to the organization as a whole and to oneself as a member of that organization (Bartel 2003) A relatively enduring state that reflects an individual’s willingness to define him- or herself as a member of a particular organization (Haslam, 2001)

Organizational Identification “[T]he degree to which a member defines him- or herself by the same attributes that he or she believes define the organization” (Dutton, Dukerich, & Harquail (1994: 239) “[T]he process whereby an individual’s beliefs about an organization become self- referential or self-defining” (Pratt, 1998: 175)

Organizational Identification The strength of an individual’ identification with an organization is compared with the degree of this individual’s cognitive, emotional, and behavioral investment in his or her organization (Chreim, 2001) “[T]o the extent that individuals identify with a group, they experience the successes and failures of the group as their own and incorporate the dominant attitudes and values of the group as their own.” (Feldman, 1995: 223)

Foundation of Identification with an Organization Knowing that one is a member (Bartel & Dutton, 2001) Perceived belongingness to an organization (Reade, 2001) However, to identify with an organization, one doesn’t need to belong to it formally (Jenkins, 1996; Pratt, 1998) Identification may be about realizing the degree to which one is a member, i. e, perceived membership (Bartel & Dutton, 2001; Tyler, 1999; Rafaeli,1997; Bartel, 2003)

Multiple Identifications Identifications are extensions of identities that a person is composed of (Mael and Ashforth, 1995) Multiple identifications stem from a variety of identities that an individual is composed of e.g., Kuhn and Nelson, 2002).

Competing Identities and Identifications Identities and identifications of boundary-spanners Identities and identifications of temporary members Identities and identifications overlapping in tenure (c.f.,Scott, 1997; Korotov, 2003) “Provisional selves” (Ibarra, 1999) and “identities in play” or liminal identities (Ibarra, 2003) Ambiguous organizational membership and self- categorization (Bartel and Dutton, 2001; Korotov, 2003)

Research Agenda Compatibility of identities and identifications Management of competing identities Organizational identification maintenance efforts and identification development efforts Identity: defining myself by who I am not (Dukerich, 2002) Liminal (limen – (lat.) threshold) states and liminal identities