Social Identity Theory Research Articles

해외 자회사 내 지식 공유 촉진자로서의 현지 직원의 문화지능에 관한 연구

As the strategic importance of knowledge that resides in host county nationals (HCNs) increases, this study begins with the motivation to advance our understanding of HCNs’ cultural intelligence (CQ) as a prominent promoter of their knowledge sharing. Drawing on social identity theory, we hypothesized a serial mediation effect of (i) relationship between HCNs and expatriates, and (ii) HCNs’ organizational identification. We empirically tested the model with 414 responses collected by HCNs working for 16 foreign subsidiaries in Korea. Results from structural equation model show that high CQ of HCNs is positively related to the relationship between expatriates and HCNs. This positive relationship between two parties is found to facilitate organizational identification of HCNs. Lastly, it was shown that HCNs’ organizational identification has a positive impact on their active knowledge sharing within foreign subsidiaries. Moreover, we found that the impact of HCNs’ CQ on their knowledge sharing is fully mediated by two suggested mediators. This research contributes to investigating the role of CQ in knowledge management from the perspective of HCNs, rather than following extant studies that give more focus on expatriates. We also proposed the full mediation model that identifies the process by which HCNs’ knowledge sharing is promoted in a multicultural work environment.

The Role of Ambivalent Identification on Service Recovery: A Study of the Hotel Industry

Service failure is common and inevitable due to the unique characteristics of services. It is essential for service organizations to carefully handle service failure and employ effective recovery strategies to maintain and improve customer satisfaction, especially when consumers experience mixed emotions towards the organization. However, most service failure and recovery literature focuses on how ambivalent identification works at the organizational level. Thus, this study extends the application of the social identity theory beyond organizational perception and focuses specifically on the consumer context, shedding light on its role in recovery justice and satisfaction. It explores the impact of failure severity and degree of correction on recovery justice, with ambivalent identification serving as the moderator in the hotel industry context. Findings from an intercept survey method indicate that the negative relationship between severity of failure and recovery justice weakens as ambivalent identification increases, while ambivalent identification strengthens the positive relationship between degree of correction and recovery justice. Moreover, ambivalent identification diminishes the positive impact of recovery justice on post-recovery satisfaction. This study provides the theoretical and practical implications related to service recovery for hotel management.

Leader ethical voice and subordinate job performance: the chain mediating role of subordinate identification with leader and leader-member exchange.

Ethical voice is a valuable ethical behavior that enables organizations to promptly recognize and rectify unethical issues and practices, thus preventing severe dilemmas and crises. Despite its importance, the extant literature has yet to fully explore the impact of a leader's ethical voice on subordinate outcomes. This study bridges this gap by integrating social identity theory and social exchange theory to scrutinize the process by which a leader's ethical voice affects subordinate task performance. We employ a serial mediation model to explore the mechanisms by which a leader's ethical voice enhances subordinates' task performance. Our theoretical framework is empirically validated using a dataset that includes 449 subordinate-leader pairings from Chinese enterprises. The survey results demonstrate that a leader's ethical voice has a significant positive impact on subordinate task performance. Subordinate identification with leader and leader-member exchange not only individually mediate the effects of a leader's ethical voice on subordinate task behavior but also jointly serve as a chain-mediated mechanism in the influence of a leader's ethical voice on subordinate task behavior. These findings illuminate the substantial effects that ethical leadership behaviors exert on employee performance and offer fresh perspectives on the intricate dynamics that govern this influence.

Unique attributes of official endorsers in destination marketing

Along with the digital transformation of the administrative environment and the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, official endorsers have nurtured a new channel for tourism destination marketing, which is of great significance to local economic recovery. However, less attention has been paid to the different effects of endorsement between ordinary endorsers and official endorsers, mainly due to their contrasting social statuses. To bridge the research gap, the source credibility model and social identity theory are integrated to construct the distinctive attributes of officials, as well as structural equation model is utilized to explore the underlying mechanism of official endorsement. Findings indicate that trustworthiness, the sense of authority, expertise, and attractiveness have direct positive effects on official identification, while also indirectly influencing tourists’ attitudes toward the destination through official identification. These findings provide theoretical and managerial implications for the local government managers involved in tourism destination marketing.

Audience costs, humiliation, and social creativity strategies: how Beijing boosts citizens’ esteem in international conflicts

Can Beijing afford to appear weak, especially after threatening an adversary to escalate in an international crisis? According to audience costs theory, the more high-profile a threat is, the more difficult it would be for a government to back down. Its citizens expect it to stand firm and punish it if it does not. One explanation for the “micro” logic of audience costs is that from a sociopsychological perspective, backing down sullies the national honor. It harms an in-group’s collective self-esteem vis-à-vis the adversarial out-group. The humiliation that citizens endure would compel them to punish their government. In this article, I examine how humiliation can be redressed proactively. I argue that governments—in this case, that of China—may not just brace for a backlash. They resort to a range of what scholars of Social Identity Theory in psychology call “social creativity strategies” in their propaganda to alleviate their citizens’ sense of humiliation. Such strategies arrest—and in some cases, even reverse—damage done to the in-group’s collective self-esteem. I present and elaborate on 10 such strategies. I demonstrate how they work with anecdotes and two case studies on Chinese propaganda in the aftermath of Japan’s “nationalization” of the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands (2012) and the country’s standoff with India in Doklam/Donglang (2017).

Prick “filter bubbles” by enhancing consumers' novelty‐seeking: The role of personalized recommendations of unmentionable products

AbstractPersonalized recommendation algorithms inadvertently foster “filter bubbles,” wherein consumers are predominantly exposed to information that aligns with their existing preferences, limiting their exposure to novel items. This phenomenon raises ethical concerns regarding consumer well‐being, as it potentially compromises the quality of consumption decisions by reinforcing a homogeneity of information. Introducing novelty into recommendation systems is a viable strategy to counteract this issue, as the predominance of homogeneous information plays a crucial role in the formation of filter bubbles. However, there is a notable gap in the literature regarding self‐directed strategies for consumers to break through these filter bubbles. Grounded in social identification theory and utilizing a series of experimental studies, our research employs a range of analytical techniques, including ANOVA, mediation, and moderated‐mediation analysis. Our findings suggest that personalized recommendations of unmentionable products, defined as products eliciting disgust, offense, or anger due to delicacy, ethics, or fear, (vs. ordinary products) can increase consumers' novelty‐seeking by enhancing their motivation to change their implicit social labels given by intelligent recommendation systems. Nonetheless, we observe that this drive for novelty‐seeking diminishes during social‐focused recommendations because this recommendation is based on the behaviors of others in consumers' social networks rather than their actions.

School belonging mediates the longitudinal effects of racial/ethnic identity on academic achievement and emotional well-being among Black and Latinx adolescents

Social Identity Theory proposes that a positive in-group social identification fosters students' academic motivation and psychological well-being. The present study, grounded in Social Identity Theory, investigated the roles of racial/ethnicity identity (REI) in the development of school adjustment among Black and Latinx youth as well as the psychological mechanisms underlying these longitudinal associations. We hypothesized that REI would positively predict the development of academic achievement and emotional symptoms. In addition, we hypothesized that the development of school belonging would mediate the predictive effects of REI on the growth of academic achievement and emotional symptoms. Participants were 475 (n = 182 Black, 48.9% female; 293 Latinx, 47.8% female) students in Grades 7–9. Students self-reported their REI, school belonging, and emotional symptoms. Academic achievement was assessed using standardized achievement test scores. The longitudinal mediation models indicated that REI indirectly predicted the development of academic achievement and emotional symptoms through students' sense of school belonging. Specifically, higher REI embedded achievement and lower REI awareness of racism predicted higher school belonging in Grade 7. Higher Grade 7 school belonging in turn predicted faster academic growth in Grade 7 to Grade 9 as well as lower emotional symptoms in Grade 7. In addition, the three dimensions of REI also directly predicted the growth of academic achievement and emotional symptoms in Grades 7–9. The mediated effects were smaller in size than the direct effects. These findings highlight the importance of fostering positive REI and a strong sense of school belonging in promoting school adjustment among racial/ethnic minoritized, academically at-risk youth.

Positive affect congruence between recruiters and applicants: effects on mutual attitudes and behaviors

ABSTRACT Drawing on social identity theory and the elaboration likelihood model, the authors hypothesize that positive affect (PA) similarity between recruiters and applicants affects both parties, and the influenced recruiters’ behaviour thus affecting applicants’ attitudes and behaviours. Nine hypotheses are tested by conducting two studies featuring a time-lagged research design with the goal of investigating the recruitment practices used by higher education institutions (HEIs) in China. Cross-level polynomial regression and block variable approaches examining 142 and 148 separate recruiter/applicant dyads support the proposed recruiter/applicant PA similarity effects. The underlying mechanism is revealed to be recruiters’ informativeness and affective delivery (Study 1), that then causes applicants to form brand identification, which further influences applicants’ attraction to the organization, and intentions to spread positive word-of-mouth about the organization (Study 2). Findings indicate that HEIs and organizations should strive to match applicant/recruiter PA levels. Implications and directions for future research are also discussed.

Corporate fraud and independent director's re‐appointment: Information hypothesis or favouritism hypothesis?

AbstractUsing the analytical framework of social identity theory, this paper explores how a special corporate governance arrangement in the Chinese capital market, i.e., independent directors' re‐appointment, affects corporate ethical behaviours. Using the bivariate probit model, we find that independent directors’ re‐appointment significantly increases corporate fraud propensity, indicating that the favouritism towards re‐appointed independent directors by firms generated from social identity plays a dominant role in the corporate governance outcome in a relationship‐based society. Our results remain consistent after using an exogenous shock to alleviate the endogenous problems. The policy implication of this paper is that the corporate arrangement of re‐appointed independent directors in the Chinese capital market may impair stakeholders’ benefit and weaken business ethics. Top‐level institutional design should be improved and consider thoroughly the effects of social identity on corporate governance outcomes.

Genetic counselors' professional identity in North America: A scoping review

AbstractProfessional identity (PI) comprises attributes, beliefs, values, motives, and experiences by which people define themselves in a professional role and evolves through socialization with others in the workplace. While there have been several studies exploring the expanding roles of genetic counselors, few have specifically addressed PI. This scoping review aimed to describe the contexts in which PI has been discussed or examined in the genetic counseling literature. Articles were searched using PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL with a priori terms including and related to PI. Articles based in the United States or Canada and of all study designs, commentaries, and speeches were included. Date of publication was not restricted. Using social identity theory (SIT) to formulate a definition of PI, multiple reviewers applied inclusion and exclusion criteria to all titles, abstracts, and full‐text articles with conflicts addressed through consensus among all reviewers. A total of 5523 titles and/or abstracts were screened, and 467 full‐text articles were evaluated and categorized as (1) focusing on PI specifically, (2) containing elements of PI although focused on another topic, or (3) not related to PI. Eighty‐seven (87) articles were reviewed during the extraction phase. Ultimately, 41 articles were deemed to meet the agreed upon characteristics of PI. While empirical studies of PI among genetic counselors were limited, PI is being addressed in research focused on related areas, including professional development and diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as in personal accounts, addresses, and commentaries. Sentiments regarding PI voiced by genetic counselors align with those reported among other health professionals. Given the lack of diversity in the field and rapidly expanding opportunities for genetic counselors, there is risk of some members of the profession feeling excluded, which in turn could negatively impact the collective identity of the profession and translate into impacts on patient care. Additional research regarding the PI of genetic counselors is needed.

ENHANCEMENT IN-GROUP COHESIVENESS – NEW ASPECT IN THE TAXONOMY OF IDENTITY MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES (THE CASE OF PEOPLE LIVING IN POVERTY)

The main aim of the current study is to present the negative social identity management strategies used by the poor group of people living in Georgia. The qualitative and quantitative research was conducted with the participation of socially vulnerable citizens in order to explore the social identity theory in the targeted group. As a result of the research, the negative social identity management strategies, such as social creativity, individual/social mobility and enhancement in-group cohesiveness were identified. There was also adapted the scale of measuring negative social identity management strategies, which is related to Social Vulnerability Status. A novelty of the study is considering the enhancement in-group cohesiveness as a negative social identity management strategy. The study gives interesting potential to other researchers to continue studying new taxonomy of negative social identity management strategies withing other vulnerable groups. In addition, our findings help us understand identity management strategies better, revealing important insights for efforts to reduce poverty and support community development.

A scoping review of behavioural science approaches and frameworks for health protection and emergency response

Aims: Rapid intervention development, implementation, and evaluation are required for emergency public health contexts, such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic. A novel Agile Co-production and Evaluation (ACE) framework has been developed to assist this endeavour in future public health emergencies. This scoping review aimed to map available behavioural science resources that can be used to develop and evaluate public health guidance, messaging, and interventions in emergency contexts onto components of ACE: rapid development and implementation, co-production with patients or the public including seldom heard voices from diverse communities, and inclusion of evaluation. Methods: A scoping review methodology was used. Searches were run on MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and Google, with search terms covering emergency response and behavioural science. Articles published since 2014 and which discussed a framework or guidance for using behavioural science in response to a public health emergency were included. A narrative synthesis was conducted. Results: Seventeen records were included in the synthesis. The records covered a range of emergency contexts, the most frequent of which were COVID-19 ( n = 7) and non-specific emergencies ( n = 4). One record evaluated existing approaches, 6 proposed new approaches, and 10 described existing approaches. Commonly used approaches included the Behavioural Change Wheel; Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation Behaviour model; and social identity theory. Three records discuss co-production with the target audience and consideration of diverse populations. Four records incorporate rapid testing, evaluation, or validation methods. Six records state that their approaches are designed to be implemented rapidly. No records cover all components of ACE. Conclusion: We recommend that future research explores how to create guidance involving rapid implementation, co-production with patients or the public including seldom heard voices from diverse communities, and evaluation.

“False advertising, fact-checked” examining how social identification affects fact-checking of false advertisements

This study examines the effectiveness of fact-checking technology in combating false advertising on social media. Focusing on two understudied consumer groups: vegans and vegetarians (Study 1) and mothers (Study 2), the study employs a social identity framework to explore the impact of fact-checking tools on consumer perceptions. The findings indicate that such tools can be beneficial for consumers, leading them to have a heightened sense of deception towards false advertising. However, the study also highlights the potential for fact-checking features to backfire when persuasive content emphasizes the consumer’s social identity in-group characteristics. Despite consumers recognizing attempts at deception in the advertisement, they find its persuasive message more credible when it aligns with their identity group’s distinctive traits. Overall, this research contributes to the literature on social identity theory, targeted advertising, message credibility, cognitive dissonance, and false information. Furthermore, the findings guide managerial decisions regarding the implementation of fact-checking features in social media advertising.

Can corporate social responsibility reduce customer mistreatment? A contingent dual‐process model

AbstractAlthough corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been widely studied, little is known about whether it has implications for customer mistreatment. In this study, we aim to understand how and when CSR is related to customer incivility, a typical type of mistreatment in service contexts. Integrating the perspectives of social exchange theory and social identity theory, we theorize that CSR influences customer incivility via customer trust and customer identification, which are contingent on front‐line employees' emotional labor (i.e., surface acting and deep acting) during service interactions. In our two‐source field study involving 332 employee–customer dyads, CSR promoted both customer trust and customer identification, which in turn reduced customer incivility. Moreover, the indirect relationship between CSR and customer incivility via customer trust (but not customer identification) was weakened by employee surface acting but strengthened by employee deep acting. Taken together, this study uncovers the relationship between CSR and customer mistreatment by exploring how and when CSR influences customer incivility, which advances the understanding of the customer‐related implications of CSR.

Does sustainable recruitment enhance motivation? A cross‐country analysis on the role of person‐organization fit

AbstractThis paper analyses the extent to which implementing sustainable recruitment practices (SRP) relates to person‐organization (P‐O) fit and motivation. We also examined the extent to which the collectivism and masculinity dimensions of national culture moderate the relationship between SRP and P‐O fit. Drawing on the attraction‐selection‐attrition framework, social identity theory and stakeholder theory, the proposed hypotheses were tested in a sample of 534 prospective employees from four countries with different cultural contexts. An experimental design was used to test the proposed relationships. The obtained findings highlight the mediating role of P‐O fit in the relationship between SRP and motivation. Collectivism and masculinity moderate the relationship between SRP and P‐O fit. We contribute to prior research by demonstrating a link between perceptions of environmental and social sustainability and motivation, and the consideration of different countries allowed us to underline the role of national context when examining the impact of SRP.

Commitment-based human resource practices, job satisfaction and proactive knowledge-seeking behavior: The moderating role of organizational identification

PurposeBased on social exchange theory and social identification theory, I investigated how employee organizational identification affects the effectiveness of commitment-based human resource (HR) practices. I focused on employee attitudes (job satisfaction) and behaviors (proactive knowledge seeking) as HR practices’ outcomes.Design/methodology/approachUsing a structural equation modeling analytical approach, I tested the hypotheses with data from a web-based cross-sectional survey of 208 specialists and engineers of manufacturing subsidiaries in Poland.FindingsResults showed that the positive relationship between commitment-based-HR practices and job satisfaction is weakened for employees strongly identified with the organization. Simultaneously, the connection between seeking knowledge and job satisfaction is stronger and more important for people who identify moderately to strongly.Research limitations/implicationsThe study limitations regard mainly its cross-sectional design and single cultural and industrial context.Practical implicationsFrom the managerial perspective, the study suggests that to enhance proactive employee behavior, companies need to increase employee organizational identification and ensure that employees have a positive perception of the implemented HR practices.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the ongoing discussion on whether individual contingencies affect the effectiveness of commitment-based HR practices in the form of individual attitudinal and behavioral outcomes. The findings revealed that the contingent effect of organizational identification depends on the type of individual outcomes, suggesting that the strength of organizational identification affects how employees decide to reciprocate the organization’s attention and investment.

An empirical study of fan community loyalty based on social identity theory

An empirical study of fan community loyalty based on social identity theory

Proud of my organization: conceptualizing the relationships between high-performance HR practices, leadership support, organizational pride, identification and innovative work behaviour

Purpose This study aims to investigate the effect of high-performance HR practices (HPHRP) on the innovative work behaviour (IWB) of employees. Drawing on social exchange theory, when employees perceive their exchange relationship in terms of HPHRP and leadership support as fair, we hypothesize that employees will demonstrate greater IWB. However, drawing on social identity theory, we hypothesize that when the attitude of employees towards their employer with best employer practices is favourable, the impact of HPHRP mediated by organizational pride and organizational identification, has a greater impact on employee IWB. Design/methodology/approach Survey research was used to empirically validate the study involving employees (n = 370) who belong to the best employer brands in India. The data was analysed using Process Macro Models 7 for moderated mediation and Model 6 for serial mediation using bootstrapping procedures. Findings The results suggest that perceived leadership support moderated the indirect effect of HPHRP on IWB through organizational pride. Again, organizational pride and identification partially and serially mediated the impact of HPHRP on IWB. Research limitations/implications Organizations must invest in HPHRP, with supportive leadership practices that can foster an emotional attitude of pride and a cognitive attitude of organizational identification to be an employer of choice resulting in employees’ IWB. Originality/value The study investigating the mediating impact of the emotional and cognitive attitudes of pride and organizational identification has not been previously explored, in the relationship between HPHRP and IWB, from a social identity perspective.

How Does Empowering Leadership Relate to Work Engagement? The Roles of Organisational Identification and Workplace Well-Being.

Scholars tend to believe that effective leadership contributes to facilitating employee work engagement. Based on social identity theory and self-determination theory, this study explored how empowering leadership affects employee work engagement through the mediating roles of organisational identification and workplace well-being. A sample of 3645 front-line employees in China participated in this study. A structural equation model analysis was performed to examine the hypothetical model. Sex, age, degree of education, wage income per month (RMB), and subjective social class were covariables. The results indicated that (a) empowering leadership was positively related to work engagement, (b) organisational identification and workplace well-being played a partial mediating role in the relationship, and (c) organisational identification and workplace well-being had a chain mediating effect on empowering leadership and work engagement. These findings advance the understanding of the effect of empowering leadership on employees' working attitudes and behaviours. They also contribute to potential interventions that boost employee work engagement.

Effect of Cultural Factors on Speech Perception in Multilingual Contexts in United Kingdom

Purpose: The aim of the study was to analyze the effect of cultural factors on speech perception in multilingual contexts in United Kingdom. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: Cultural factors significantly influence speech perception in multilingual contexts in the United Kingdom, impacting individuals' ability to discern phonetic contrasts across languages. Language exposure, cultural identity, and social interactions all contribute to shaping speech perception abilities among multilingual speakers. Considering socio-cultural context is crucial in understanding these phenomena, as cultural norms and values influence auditory processing mechanisms. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Social identity theory, acculturation theory & communication accommodation theory may be used to anchor future studies on analyze the effect of cultural factors on speech perception in multilingual contexts in United Kingdom. Develop culturally responsive language education programs that recognize and celebrate linguistic diversity. Advocate for policies that promote linguistic and cultural inclusivity in education, workplace, and public services.