Identity Approach Research Articles

Is identity leadership provided by coaches and athlete leaders associated with performance? A cross‐cultural study in football teams

AbstractThe social identity approach to leadership contends that the most effective leaders represent, advance, create, and embed a shared social identity (i.e., a sense of ‘we’ and ‘us’) within the groups they lead. Building on previous research, our study examines whether the perceived identity leadership of coaches and athlete leaders is associated with a range of key performance indicators (notably team and individual performance and effort) through team identification and team cohesion. We also examine if these relationships are generalisable across WEIRD (Westernised, Educated, Industrialised, Rich, and Democratic) and non‐WEIRD countries while looking at whether they vary as a function of national culture (i.e., ingroup collectivism). To this end, we collected data from 3,135 football players across 211 teams in nine countries who engaged in an average of 4.02 sessions per week (SD = 2.03). Data were analysed using multilevel (multigroup) regressions and indicated that coaches' and athlete leaders' perceived identity leadership was associated with all performance indicators via both team identification and cohesion. For the most part, these relationships held across WEIRD and non‐WEIRD countries. However, we also found some evidence that the relationships between identity leadership and performance varied cross‐culturally and were generally stronger in countries high on ingroup collectivism. Together, these data suggest that identity leaders—across geographical and cultural borders—can make teams more effective and that they achieve this by leveraging ‘our’ strength in ways that make ‘us’ more cohesive.

Traces of Aydın Boysan s Architectural Practice in an Industrial City: The Case of Kocaeli

Industrial areas within a city are one of the important components of urban memory, shedding light on the economic and social life, architectural design and building technologies of their era. However, modern research by architects on the industrialization process of Kocaeli, one of the most important industrial cities in Turkey, which has left important traces in the city, is insufficient. Leading architects of the period played an important role in the city's path to becoming an "Industrial City". Architect Aydın Boysan is a valuable professional who realized the pioneering architectural designs of his period in Kocaeli and made significant contributions to the city. Boysan, who designed many industrial buildings in Turkey, is the architect of four large industrial sites built in Kocaeli. These four buildings were not only important centers of production in their respective sectors for the country, but also unique representatives of modern architecture that was influential all over the world. It is an important responsibility of architectural historiography to bring these works of modern architecture, which shed light on an era, to the agenda and into the literature before they are lost. This study examines the structural, formal and functional characteristics of the facilities and their status today through Boysan's architectural identity and design approaches to industrial buildings. These facilities started operations in the 1960s, an important historical threshold in Kocaeli's transformation into an industrial city. Research on these representations of Boysan's unique modernist architectural style expands our knowledge about the production of the built environment for an industrial city and reveals traces of an important architect of the period.

Underrepresentation of Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma in Clinical Trials for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.

Although chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) are the same biologic disease entity and warrant identical treatment approaches, patients with SLL have frequently been excluded from clinical trials in CLL. This study assessed the representation of patients with SLL among Phase II or III clinical trials cited in the 2024 National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) treatment guidelines. Patients with SLL were explicitly eligible for only 21 (38%) of the 56 clinical trials for CLL, comprising 222 (6%) of the 3440 enrolled patients. Notably, 380 patients with SLL were enrolled in 16 separate non-CLL clinical trials alongside patients with indolent B-cell lymphomas such as follicular lymphoma. In CLL trials, patients with SLL were included in a greater proportion of studies evaluating BTK inhibitors (67%) or BTK/BCL2 inhibitor combinations (67%) compared to BCL2 inhibitors (0%) or chemoimmunotherapy (0%). Although recent and upcoming trials show a promising trend toward the inclusion of patients with SLL, further advocacy is needed to raise awareness of the biological similarities between CLL and SLL and to promote the representation of patients with SLL in CLL/SLL clinical research.

Individuals’ Social Identity and Pro-Environmental Behaviors: Cross-Cultural Evidence from 48 Regions

Individual pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) are essential for addressing critical global environmental challenges. Drawing on the social identity approach, this study examines how different types of social identity (including world, national, regional, and city identities) influence individuals’ engagement in PEBs. Using data from the seventh wave of the World Values Survey (2017–2022), which includes responses from 60,577 participants across 48 regions, a hierarchical linear model was used to analyze these relationships. The results show that world identity has a stronger effect than city, national, or regional identity on green orientation and subsequently on PEBs, emphasizing environmental sustainability as a global priority. Moreover, previous cross-cultural research has focused on individualistic and collectivistic cultures. Our study introduces a novel perspective to the existing literature by examining the moderating effect of long-term versus short-term societal orientations. The findings indicate that long-term cultural orientations strengthen the influence of green orientation on PEBs. This study provides actionable insights for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers seeking to develop culturally sensitive strategies to promote sustainable behaviors.

Immigrant student identities and classroom engagement

ABSTRACT Immigrant students bring to school multiple identities, shaped by language exposure at home and in school. The present study examined the relationship between the multiple identities of 264 immigrant students’ and their classroom engagement. Participants from French (n = 105), Russian (n = 63), English (n = 55) and Kuki (n = 41) speaking backgrounds in elementary, middle and high schools rated their current, preferred and future Israeli and heritage identities. Five identity clusters emerged: Strong Israeli (n = 27), Future Israeli (n = 43), Bicultural (n = 96), Current home (n = 49) and Strong home identity (n = 49). No differences were found among immigrant groups in terms of the identity cluster they fall under except for Kuki-Hebrew immigrants. Classroom engagement as measured by class attendance, participation, textbook use and assignment submission differed for the different identity clusters. Bicultural and Future Israeli identity clusters showed the highest engagement levels. Furthermore, younger students who opted for Current home identity exhibited the lowest engagement levels. The discussion argues for a multiple identities approach, challenging the conventional Home-School dichotomy used to study identity. This approach proposes using pedagogical approaches, such as translanguaging, to foster a sense of belonging and promote achievement among immigrant students by acknowledging their diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

Integrating Computational Thinking into Technology Preparation Curriculum for Teacher Candidates: A Funds of Identity Approach

Integrating Computational Thinking into Technology Preparation Curriculum for Teacher Candidates: A Funds of Identity Approach

(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction? The effect of servant leadership on firefighters’ global satisfaction – a social identity approach

ABSTRACT This study aims to integrate the principles of servant leadership with social identity theory to develop a comprehensive model of the positive effects of this leadership approach on followers’ job satisfaction and life satisfaction. Our 4-wave study focuses on a sample of 303 French firefighters and shows that servant leadership significantly predicts firefighters’ job satisfaction and life satisfaction through the mediation of organizational identification. Our results also indicate that the need to belong moderates the mediating effect of organizational identification on the relationships between servant leadership and both individuals’ job and life satisfaction. The theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.

Blind Conformity: The Interplay of Trait Group Loyalty and Leader Group Prototypicality in a Simulated Sunk Cost Situation

Across a pilot study and 2 experiments (N = 503), we examined the conditions under which loyal members would conform to their leader’s sunk cost bias—a tendency to persist in a failing course of action despite its apparent negative outcomes. Drawing on the social identity approach to leadership and trait-situation principles, we hypothesized that the effect of members’ trait group loyalty on their conformity would be stronger when their leader was perceived as a prototypical member. As hypothesized, members high, not low, in trait group loyalty evaluated more favorably the undesirable performance of their leader and conformed more to the leader’s sunk cost bias. But these results emerged only when the leader was perceived as a prototypical member.

Engaged Onlooking: How Organisational Identification Shapes Public Condoning of Corporate Corruption

ABSTRACTWe examine how social identity processes shape condoning of organisational corruption among onlookers. Two studies examined the willingness of outside observers to condone, or else condemn, corrupt actions of real organisations, a process we call ‘engaged onlookership’ building on the social identity approach to engaged followership. In both Study 1 (cross‐sectional) and Study 2 (experimental), we found that identification with a company guilty of malfeasance and identification with the monitoring agency who uncovered their scandal independently predicted opposing effects on condoning corruption, even while controlling for moral identity and demographic factors. These findings were then replicated and extended in Study 3 that made several methodological improvements upon previous studies. Results provided additional evidence of an indirect effect of the manipulation on condoning corruption through company identification. These findings provide support for an engaged onlookership model of corruption which posits that onlookers are more likely to endorse morally problematic behaviour when they believe it is performed by, and in the interests of, an organisation with which they identify.

How is coaches’ social identity leadership related to mental health in elite athletes? The mediating role of satisfaction with performance

ABSTRACT It has been found that the way high-performance coaches lead influences both athletes’ performance and mental health. However, limited research exists on the Social Identity Approach to leadership in elite sports, despite growing interest in coaching science regarding interpersonal behaviours and leadership. This study investigates the empirical links between coaches’ leadership, sport performance and mental health from a social identity approach. One hundred and forty-five elite athletes (M age = 20.6 years; SD = 4.1; 62% women, 38% men) answered questionnaires measuring coaches’ social identity leadership, sport performance satisfaction and mental health. The overall structural equation model (SEM) accounted for 36% and 19% of the variances in athletes’ mental health and mental illness dimensions, respectively. There was a positive association between perceived coaches’ social identity leadership and sport performance satisfaction, explaining 10% of its variance. Coaches’ social identity leadership predicted athletes’ mental health but not mental illness. Sport performance satisfaction positively influenced mental health and negatively impacted mental illness. Fostering a sense of “we” and “us” within elite sport training groups is instrumental in promoting sport performance satisfaction and, consequently, enhancing the mental health of athletes. Coaching educational courses may benefit from social identity leadership in interpersonal behaviours.

Development of a group-based behaviour change intervention for people with severe obesity informed by the social identity approach to health.

Interventions to support behaviour change in people living with chronic health conditions increasingly use patient groups as the mode of delivery, but these are often designed without consideration of the group processes that can shape intervention outcomes. This article outlines a new approach to designing group-based behaviour change interventions that prioritizes recipients' shared social identity as group members in facilitating the adoption of established behaviour change techniques (BCTs). The approach is illustrated through an example drawn from research focused on people living with severe obesity. A prioritization process was undertaken in collaboration with stakeholders, including behaviour change experts, clinicians, and a former patient to develop an evidence-based, group intervention informed by the social identity approach to health. Three phases of development are reported: (1) identification of the health problem; (2) delineation of intervention mechanisms and operationalization of BCTs for group delivery and (3) intervention manualization. The fourth phase, intervention testing and optimization, is reported elsewhere. A group-based behaviour change intervention was developed, consisting of 12 group sessions and 3 one-to-one consultations. The intervention aimed to support the development of shared social identity among recipients, alongside the delivery of evidence-based BCTs, to improve the likelihood of successful intervention and health outcomes among people living with severe obesity. A manualized intervention, informed by the social identity approach to health, was systematically designed with input from stakeholders. The development approach employed can inform the design of behavioural interventions in other health contexts where group-based delivery is planned.

CO2 solubility and physicochemical properties of 2-amino 2-methyl-1-propanol based solvents for post-combustion CO2 capture. Predictive modeling using machine learning

Global warming, caused by Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions from hard-to-abate industries, necessitates CO2 capture as one of the promising alternatives. Post-combustion CO2 capture (PCC) can be retrofitted for industries where chemical absorption using an amine-based solvent is an efficient method for CO2 capture. An essential factor for CO2 absorption in an amine mixture is the study of CO2 solubility and CO2 + Amine physicochemical properties to identify the more efficient solvents. Often experimental data are available in the literature, but precisemodeling is necessary to use such data for further utilization in a process-plant model. In this work, a blended solvent aqueous 2-amine-2methyl-1-Propanal (AMP) with Piperazine (PZ) and 1-(2-aminoethyl) piperazine (AEP) have been identified as a potential candidate for PCC application. The fundamental properties such as the density, viscosity and CO2 solubility in AMP + PZ and AMP + AEP blended solutions have been predicted by employing machine learning to get an exceptionally efficient model. This data-mining technique efficiently calculates solubility, density, and viscosity by using 691, 559, and 559 experimental data sets respectively, from the literature of AMP + PZ. Similarly, 120 data sets of solubility have been collected from the literature for AMP + AEP. Random Forest regression, Artificial Neural Network (ANN), and XGBoost regression algorithms are adapted to predict CO2 solubility in aqueous AMP blended solution. The effectiveness of these models has been confirmed through statistical analysis, leading to the conclusion that XGBoost outperforms the other two approaches. Moreover, an identical approach has been employed to develop a predictive model for the density and viscosity of AMP + PZ solvent. The outcomes imply that the machine learning algorithm performs better with experimental data and may be utilised as an effective simulation tool.

Us or them: How COVID‐19 vaccine priority influences perceptions of local‐migrant worker relations

AbstractThe COVID‐19 pandemic laid bare pre‐existing societal fault lines, placing immense strain on intergroup relations and giving rise to xenophobic sentiments. Drawing on Realistic Conflict Theory (RCT) and Social Identity Approach (SIA), our study examined how the public allocation of COVID‐19 variant vaccines could influence the dynamics between local citizens and migrant workers, and under what conditions. One key idea is that valued resource distribution that favour migrant workers may produce increased perceptions of realistic threats among local citizens which could lead to exacerbated negative attitudes and behaviours of high‐status local citizens towards low‐status migrants, whereas higher fairness perceptions of such resource distributions could potentially mitigate these negative attitudes and behaviours. To investigate these predictions, we employed a cross‐cultural approach and conducted an experiment in both an Asian country (Malaysia; N = 197) and a Western country (Australia; N = 210). We manipulated vaccine prioritisation, assessed local citizens' perceptions of the realistic threat and fairness of vaccine prioritisation, and measured their attitudinal responses towards migrant workers. Our results showed that the perceived unfairness in migrant‐favouring vaccine prioritisation, rather than realistic threat, negatively affected local citizens' perceptions of the migrant workers. We discuss the implications of these findings in the context of intergroup relations.

Developing employee proactivity in entrepreneurial ventures through training: an organisational identity approach

Purpose This study aims to explore how training influences employee proactive behaviours in entrepreneurial ventures. Specifically, the study develops and tests a model in which organisational identification (OID) mediates the relationship between perceptions of training and two employee proactive behaviours: taking charge and creative behaviour. Design/methodology/approach Data was collected from 136 employee-supervisor dyads from 24 entrepreneurial ventures in Malaysia’s high technology industry. Smart–partial least square structural equations modelling was used to test our proposed hypothesis. Findings The findings suggest that entrepreneurial ventures can use training to strengthen employees’ identification with the ventures, which in turn encourages proactive behaviours. Originality/value This study shows how HRD practices found in larger firms can work in different ways to influence desirable behaviours among employees of entrepreneurial firms. Specifically, by demonstrating how the relationship between training and employee proactive behaviours occurs through OID in the context of entrepreneurial ventures, the authors provide a complementary explanation of how HRD practices in entrepreneurial ventures can influence employee positive behaviours.

The Impact of Holistic Justice on the Long‐Term Experiences and Wellbeing of Mass Human Rights Violation Survivors: Ethnographic and Interview Evidence From Kosova, Northern Ireland and Albania

ABSTRACTResearch highlights the long‐term collective effects of mass human rights violations (MHRVs) on survivors’ wellbeing. This multi‐method, multi‐context paper combines the social identity approach (SIA), transitional and social justice theories and human rights‐conceptualised wellbeing to propose a human rights understanding of trauma responses and experiences in the context of MHRVs. In Study 1, ethnographic research in four locations in Kosova, 5 years post war indicates that lack of perceived conflict‐related and social justice is experienced as a key contributor to survivors’ individual and collective wellbeing. In Study 2, 61 semi‐structured interviews with MHRVs survivors from post‐war Kosova, post‐conflict Northern Ireland and post‐dictatorship Albania two to three decades post conflict also show that such justice experiences inform wellbeing. These studies illustrate the importance of expanding the SIA to health and trauma theories by taking account of a human rights‐conceptualised wellbeing as well as adopting a holistic analysis of justice perception.

Macrophage activation syndrome in Sepsis: from pathogenesis to clinical management.

Sepsis represents a significant global health and hygiene challenge. Excessive activation of macrophages in sepsis can result in certain patients displaying characteristics akin to those observed in Macrophage Activation Syndrome (MAS). MAS represents a grave immune system disorder characterized by persistent and severe inflammation within the body. In the context of sepsis, MAS presents atypically, leading some researchers to refer to it as Macrophage Activation-Like Syndrome (MALS). However, there are currently no effective treatment measures for this situation. The purpose of this article is to explore potential treatment methods for sepsis-associated MALS. The objective of this review is to synthesize the specific pathophysiological mechanisms and treatment strategies of MAS to investigate potential therapeutic approaches for sepsis-associated MALS. We searched major databases (including PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar etc.) for literature encompassing macrophage activation syndrome and sepsis up to Mar 2024 and combined with studies found in the reference lists of the included studies. We have synthesized the underlying pathophysiological mechanism of MALS in sepsis, and then summarized the diagnostic criteria and the effects of various treatment modalities utilized in patients with MAS or MALS. In both scenarios, heterogeneous treatment responses resulting from identical treatment approaches were observed. The determination of whether the patient is genuinely experiencing MALS significantly impacts the ultimate outcomes of therapeutic efficacy. In order to tackle this concern, additional clinical trials and research endeavors are imperative.

Understanding Leadership from the Inside: Using Ethnographic Methods to Examine How the Interplay between Leaders, Followers, and Group Context Shapes Leadership Outcomes.

This paper outlines a novel method for leadership researchers and practitioners to understand how and why effective and ineffective leadership look different in different groups. Leadership is a complex and contextually dependent process influenced by the interplay between leaders, followers, the group, and their environment. The social identity approach to leadership describes how a group's identity shapes the ways in which people can lead effectively. It also implies that (in)effective leadership looks different across diverse groups and teams. Accordingly, it follows that there is no single correct way to lead. To explore these ideas, we propose ethnographic methods, where researchers and practitioners immerse themselves in a group environment, as a novel type of method for examining leadership in action. We suggest the social identity approach as a framework to help guide researchers' data collection and sense-making of leadership behaviours. Additionally, we explain that ethnographic data can be represented well through creative non-fiction stories that capture the context surrounding leadership behaviours. These stories could support leadership consultancy and development programs to demonstrate the complex interplay between leaders, followers, and the group context.

Weekend (Keyboard) Warriors: Differences in Social Media Consumption and Production Between NFL and College Football Fans

Sports fans are often some of the most passionate groups of fans and the use of social media can intensify those feelings, both in expressing their feelings and consumption of content. Football fans are a unique group in American sports culture, but how much difference is there within that group in terms of these behaviors? Using a social identity approach, this manuscript analyzed the degree to which team identification and fan identification played a role in the social media consumption and production in college football and National Football League (NFL) fans. A total of 586 fans responded to a survey that examined respondent’s team and fan identification, as well as social media consumption, creation, and sharing behaviors. Results indicated that college football fans generally identified with fellow fans of their favorite football team and consumed, created, and shared social media more frequently and with greater intensity than their NFL counterparts. Key differences between college football and NFL fans included fan identification predicted social media consumption and creation, while team identification predicted social media sharing among both college and NFL fans.

Change Credit: The Compensatory Effects of Leader Group Prototypicality and Organizational Identity Strength in Organizational Change

ABSTRACT This research empirically examined a central claim of the social identity approach to leadership in the context of organizational change, namely that group prototypical leaders possess a ‘special credit’ in leadership performance and consequent follower support. We investigated leader prototypicality in comparison to and combined with change leadership and explored its boundaries focusing on organizational identity strength. Furthermore, we situated our analysis in two countries, Austria and Germany, that differ along cultural dimensions known to influence the effectiveness of leader group prototypicality. In our study of 207 Austrian and 206 German employees, we found that leader prototypicality, change leadership, and organizational identity strength each uniquely predicted perceived leader support, both in the combined sample and within each country. Furthermore, we observed the hypothesized two-way interaction between leader prototypicality and change leadership across these samples, as well as a three-way interaction with organizational identity strength in the combined and Austrian samples. Change leadership was less predictive with increasing leader group prototypicality, particularly in organizations with strong organizational identity. We interpret this as evidence of a ‘change credit’ for prototypical leaders, allowing them to compensate for a deficit in change-specific leadership behaviours, especially in contexts where organizational and leader identities are salient. MAD statement Our study investigates how leaders who embody their group's identity can more effectively drive organizational change, requiring fewer change management efforts to secure follower support. By exploring the idea of ‘change credit’ among Austrian and German employees, we highlight the critical role of social identity leadership, alongside a strong team and organizational identity, in achieving successful organizational transformations. This research contributes to Sustainable Development Goals 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) by offering scientifically-backed insights into more effective leadership strategies during challenging transitions in companies and economies.

A social identity approach to crisis leadership.

This paper discusses the importance of a social identity approach to crisis leadership in the context of global crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic and emphasizes the interconnected relationships between leaders and followers. I highlight the role of leaders in fostering unity and shaping citizens' responses especially during crises. I discuss the nature of crises and the significant role of political leaders in guiding societal responses and suggest that crisis leadership extends beyond individual competencies and behaviours and involves a shift from individual to collective responses. With this, I introduce the social identity approach to leadership that views leadership as a social influence process and emphasizes the importance of creating a sense of 'we-ness' among followers. Following from that, crisis leadership involves leaders constructing defining features of collective identity and efficacy to address crises appropriately. However, the value of this approach depends on the careful definition of shared identity boundaries, consideration of diverse experiences within society, the evolving nature of crisis leadership over time and potential consequences of crisis leadership. The sustainability of identity leadership, the dynamics of intergroup and subgroup processes, and the complexities of various crises are identified as areas requiring further research.