Will I help you or will I not? Occupational social taint, core self-evaluation, and occupational helping identity

Abstract

ABSTRACT How perceived occupational social taint in the presence of core self-evaluation and role identity salience can influence the formation of a target and context-specific occupational helping identity of members engaged in socially tainted occupations is examined in this study. In alignment with the extant literature, we identify this identity as a prosocial helping identity (PHI). A longitudinal field study was conducted in two waves with individuals engaged in drug de-addiction and rehabilitation centres. The findings reveal that perceived occupational social taint significantly influences PHI via role-identity salience when occupational members’ core self-evaluation is high. This study advances identity work and social identity theories by establishing how and when PHI as an occupational helping identity can be formed among occupational members engaged in a “socially tainted occupation” not because of their nature of work performed per se, but their proximity to the service beneficiaries viewed as dirty by the society.