Although aspects of social identity theory are familiar to organizational psychologists, its elaboration, through self-categorization theory, of how social categorization and prototype-based ...depersonalization actually produce social identity effects is less well known. We describe these processes, relate self-categorization theory to social identity theory, describe new theoretical developments in detail, and show how these developments can address a range of organizational phenomena. We discuss cohesion and deviance, leadership, subgroup and sociodemographic structure, and mergers and acquisitions.
The present research investigated three approaches to the role of norms in the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). Two studies examined the proposed predictors of intentions to engage in household ...recycling (Studies 1 and 2) and reported recycling behaviour (Study 1). Study 1 tested the impact of descriptive and injunctive norms (personal and social) and the moderating role of self‐monitoring on norm ‐ intention relations. Study 2 examined the role of group norms and group identification and the moderating role of collective self on norm ‐ intention relations. Both studies demonstrated support for the TPB and the inclusion of additional normative variables: attitudes; perceived behavioural control; descriptive; and personal injunctive norms (but not social injunctive norm) emerged as significant independent predictors of intentions. There was no evidence that the impact of norms on intentions varied as a function of the dispositional variables of self‐monitoring (Study 1) or the collective self (Study 2). There was support, however, for the social identity approach to attitude ‐ behaviour relations in that group norms predicted recycling intentions, particularly for individuals who identified strongly with the group. The results of these two studies highlight the critical role of social influence processes within the TPB and the attitude ‐ behaviour context.
The present research integrates core aspects of social identity theory with the theory of planned behaviour to investigate factors influencing engagement in sustainable agricultural practices. Using ...a two‐wave prospective design, two studies were conducted with samples of farmers (N=609 and N=259, respectively). At Time 1, a questionnaire survey assessed theory of planned behaviour variables in relation to engaging in riparian zone management (a sustainable agricultural practice). In addition, intergroup perceptions (i.e. relations between rural and urban groups), group norms and group identification were assessed. At Time 2, self‐reported behaviour was measured. There was support for the integrated model across both studies. As predicted, past behaviour, attitudes and perceived behavioural control were significant predictors of intentions, and intentions significantly predicted self‐reported behaviour. Group norms and intergroup perceptions were also significant predictors of intentions providing support for the inclusion of social identity concepts in the theory of planned behaviour. More supportive group norms were associated with higher intentions, especially for high‐group identifiers. In contrast, more negative intergroup perceptions were associated with lower intentions and, unexpectedly, this effect only emerged for low‐group identifiers. This suggests that in the context of decisions to engage in riparian zone management, an important sustainable agricultural practice, high identifiers are influenced predominantly by in‐group rather than out‐group considerations, whereas low identifiers may attend to cues from both the in‐group and the out‐group when making their decisions.
This study tested the utility of a stress and coping model of employee adjustment to a merger. Two hundred and twenty employees completed both questionnaires (Time 1: 3 months after merger ...implementation; Time 2: 2 years later). Structural equation modeling analyses revealed that positive event characteristics predicted greater appraisals of self-efficacy and less stress at Time 1. Self-efficacy, in turn, predicted greater use of problem-focused coping at Time 2, whereas stress predicted a greater use of problem-focused and avoidance coping. Finally, problem-focused coping predicted higher levels of job satisfaction and identification with the merged organization (Time 2), whereas avoidance coping predicted lower identification.
This article presents a model of social identity development and integration in the self. Classic intergroup theories (e.g., social identity theory, self-categorization theory) address the ...situational, short-term changes in social identities. Although these theories identify the contextual and environmental factors that explain situational changes in social identification, the intraindividual processes underlying developmental changes in social identities and their integration within the self remain to be identified. Relying on recent intergroup models as well as on developmental (i.e., neo-Piagetian) and social cognitive frameworks, this article proposes a four-stage model that explains the specific processes by which multiple social identities develop intraindividually and become integrated within the self over time. The factors that facilitate versus impede these identity change processes and the consequences associated with social identity integration are also presented.
BACKGROUND: Donor retention poses a significant problem to blood collection agencies around the world. Previous research using an augmented theory of planned behavior (TPB) approach has demonstrated ...that attitude, subjective norm, self‐efficacy, moral norm, anticipated regret, donation anxiety from prior blood donations, and self‐identity as a blood donor predicts experienced donors' intentions and that intentions, self‐efficacy, moral norm, and anticipated regret may impact upon people's actual blood donation behavior.
STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Established blood donors (n = 263) completed questionnaires assessing standard TPB constructs, anticipated regret, moral norm, donation anxiety, and self‐identity as a blood donor. Three months later, a second questionnaire assessing blood donation behavior in the intervening 3 months was mailed and returned by 182 donors.
RESULTS: With structural equation modeling, the final augmented TPB model provided an excellent fit to the data and included a direct path from intention to behavior and indirect paths to behavior through intention for attitude, self‐efficacy, and anticipated regret. Moral norm, donation anxiety, and donor identity indirectly predicted intention through attitude. In total, 51 percent of the variance in donors' attitudes, 86 percent of variance in donors' intentions, and 70 percent of the variance in donors' behavior were accounted for in the final model.
CONCLUSION: An augmented TPB framework proved efficacious in determining the predictors of the intentions and behavior of established blood donors. Further, this framework highlighted the importance of considering in the future how donors' motivations for donating blood may evolve as a function of the number of prior donations.
Healthy eating intentions were assessed as a function of theory of planned behavior variables and manipulated group norm salience. Participants (n = 119) were exposed (or not) to a positive ...injunctive norm that their fellow students approve of eating healthily, and (or not) to a negative descriptive norm that their fellow students do not eat healthily. A significant interaction emerged. When a negative descriptive norm was made salient, participants exposed to a positive injunctive norm reported significantly lower intentions to eat healthily. When no descriptive norm was given, exposure to a positive injunctive norm had no effect. The results suggest the weakness of manipulated injunctive norm salience in the health domain, and the importance of investigating the interactive effects of referent group norms.
Two experiments examine the interplay of injunctive and descriptive norms on intentions to engage in pro-environmental behavior. In Experiment 1, Australian participants were exposed to supportive or ...unsupportive group descriptive and injunctive norms about energy conservation. Results revealed that a conflict between the group-level injunctive and descriptive norm was associated with weaker behavioral intentions: The beneficial effects of a supportive injunctive norm were undermined when presented with an unsupportive descriptive norm. Experiment 2 replicated this effect in both a Western (UK) and non-Western (China) context, and found that the extent to which norms were aligned or not determined intentions even after controlling for attitudes, perceptions of control, and interpersonal-level injunctive and descriptive norms. These experiments demonstrate that conflict between injunctive and descriptive norms leads to weaker intentions to engage in pro-environmental behavior, highlighting the need to consider the interplay between injunctive and descriptive norms to understand how norms influence behavioral intentions.
► Two experiments examine the interplay of injunctive and descriptive norms. ► Conflict between the injunctive and descriptive norm produces weaker intentions. ► This is true in individualist (Australia; UK) and collectivist (China) cultures.
Considerable research has explored the variables that affect the success of newcomer on-boarding, socialization, and retention. We build on this research by examining how newcomer socialization is ...affected by the degree to which newcomers’ peers and leaders provide them with positive feedback. We refer to newcomers’ perceptions of this feedback as “social validation.” This study examines the impact of social validation from peers and leaders on the development of organizational identification over time and the turnover attitudes of new employees. We found that perceptions of social validation significantly predicted how new employees used coping strategies to adapt to their new role over time, and consequently the development of identification and turnover intentions. Specifically, increased peer social validation predicted a greater use of positive coping strategies to engage with the new organization over time, and less use of disengagement coping strategies. In contrast, initial leader validation decreased newcomers’ disengagement from the organization over time. These results highlight the role of the social environment in the workplace in temporally shaping and validating newcomers’ adaptation efforts during transitions.
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