Committed to the Causes? Identification, Commitment, and Behavior in a Hybrid Identity Organization

Abstract

Hybrid organizations have multiple, often conflicting, identity elements with which members may identify. Research suggests organizational identification is positively associated with commitment in single identity organizations, and that commitment in turn motivates behavior. Yet we know little about the relationships between identification, commitment, and behavior in hybrid organizations. Using multi-method data from a socially responsible retail company, I find members’ identification with the social and business elements of the organization has a positive interactive effect on commitment and also influences how such commitment manifests behaviorally. I discuss implications for commitment, identification, and hybrid organizations.