Advancing Research on Identity Threats in the Modern Organization

Abstract

The papers in this symposium share the aim of advancing research on the identity threats individuals encounter in organizations. Utilizing qualitative and quantitative approaches, the papers in this symposium address three important limitations of current research on identity threats. Specifically, the first presentation provides an empirical investigation of the proposition that employees respond differently when a highly salient identity is threatened as compared to a less salient one, thereby addressing the lack of tests of existing models. Answering the call for the development of quantitative measures to capture identity-implicating experiences (Caza et al., 2018), the second paper presents the validation of an identity threat scale. The last two papers focus on the experience of individuals who are aware that they pose a threat to others and therefore adjust their behavior to deal with the situation and salvage their outcomes. The third paper studies how people from minority groups develop strategies to be less threatening to dominant group members and subsequently improve their career outcomes in organizations. The fourth presentation describes the various coping responses that organizational gig workers – employees who engage in gig work within organizations – put into place to manage organizational insiders’ perceptions and improve their standing in the organization. Together, the four papers in this symposium add to our understanding of the subjective experience of the modern workplace. When is a threat more or less of a threat? Threat Sensitivity, Withdrawal, and Antisocial Behaviors Presenter: Hana Johnson; Washington State U. Presenter: Elizabeth Eve Umphress; U. of Washington Presenter: Jay Bates; Washington State U. Presenter: Shaun Parkinson; Washington State U. Development and Validation of an Identity Threat Scale Presenter: Mailys George; IESE Business School Presenter: Karoline Strauss; ESSEC Business School Presenter: Julija Mell; Erasmus U. Rotterdam Presenter: Heather Ciara Vough; George Mason U. Does the Deferential Black Man Get to Lead? Deference and Race in the Workplace Presenter: Camellia Bryan; Schulich School of Business Presenter: Chris Bell; York U. Presenter: Caren Colaco; Schulich School of Business, York U. Presenter: Andreja Stajduhar; Schulich School of Business, York U. Managing the Identity Challenges of Organizational Gig Work Presenter: Philip Rogiers; KU Leuven