Abstract
We conducted a multi-study, field research program to (a) develop, validate and cross-validate an emic-etic, bi-dimensional measure of Chinese workers’ organizational identification (OID) based on our previously conceptualized framework, and (b) classify employees into three levels of OID. We found convergent evidence showing that the Chinese OID construct consists of emotional and behavioral dimensions. Specifically, in Study 1 (N = 408), we developed and validated a bi-dimensional measure called the Chinese Organizational Identification Questionnaire (COIQ; 8 items). In Study 2 (N = 299), we cross-validated the COIQ and established the construct validity by examining several hypothesized relationships between the Chinese OID construct and other relevant organizational variables, such as unethical pro-organizational behavior, perceived psychological contract violation, and perceptions of business practices of compensations and benefits. Based on the factor analytic and structural equation modeling results, we concluded that the bi-dimensional Chinese OID model as measured with the COIQ has construct validity. More importantly, we used the latent profile analysis method to generate three OID profiles of Chinese workers based on their COIQ scores: The Strong Identifier, the Moderate Identifier and the Action-Oriented Identifier. Those profiles were differentially related to the organizational constructs of interest. The implications for researchers and practitioners were discussed.
Highlights
There is a crisis of employees’ commitment in Chinese firms: turnover rates are high in Chinese companies (Howard et al, 2007), implying that employees might not strongly identify with their organization
In Study 1, following Cheung et al.’s (2001) emic-etic approach, we developed a measure of Chinese perception of organizational identification (OID), called the Chinese Organizational Identification Questionnaire (COIQ)
Our results were partly consistent with past research: (a) the affective component is a core element of OID, and (b) the OID concept refers to the perception of unity with or belonging to an organization
Summary
There is a crisis of employees’ commitment in Chinese firms: turnover rates are high in Chinese companies (Howard et al, 2007), implying that employees might not strongly identify with their organization. Some Chinese researchers (e.g., Li et al, 2008; Li and Yang, 2012) typically translated and/or adapted a well-known Western measurement instrument, such as Cheney’s (1983) 25-item Organizational Identification Questionnaire (OIQ), to assess Chinese workers’ OID. In the present study, we adopted Cheung et al.’s (2001) recommendation and used an emic-etic approach to develop an OID measure based partly on Chinese interpretation of the construct and partly on established measures in the literature as well: We first identified the indicators of the construct that might be applicable to only Chinese employees in addition to universal indicators similar to those found in the Western literature, and validated the measure in a human resources management context. The researchers found that 12 items in Cheney’s OIQ represented a three-factor structure
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