Application of In-Group Identification to Organizations: A Study of the Impact of Self-Investment and Self-Definition on Key Organizational Outcomes

Abstract

This study looks at the association of the two-dimensional measure of in-group identification on key organizational outcomes. In-group identification has been used in social psychology research on social stereotyping, but has never been used in an organizational setting. In-group identification’s two dimensions—self-investment and self-definition—were predicted to influence relational quality, satisfaction with communication received, job satisfaction, and turnover intention. Given its affective underpinnings, self-investment was hypothesized to have a larger influence on the outcomes than self-definition. An online survey of 302 full- and part-time employees was conducted. Results largely confirmed the hypotheses, with self-investment having the significantly larger influence on supervisor relational quality, top-management relational quality, satisfaction with communication received, job satisfaction, and turnover intention. Managerial and organizational implications are discussed.