A broader view on organizational identification: an empirical study in China

Abstract

The present study was to explore if organizational identification might be affected by economic factor that normally countered by the prediction of social identity theory. We also attempted to examine any conditions that might moderate the relationship between organizational identification and its predictors. Our model posits that compensation loss and promotability drop are essential predictors of organizational identification and their effects are contingent upon the interactions of procedural justice and gender. We tested the hypotheses with a Chinese factory sample which underwent substantial structure change that caused high mobility of workers and many new recruits and survivors found sufferings at the time. Inconsistent to traditional view, organizational identification was significantly affected by the economic factor, compensation loss. And, there was a three-way interaction effect from compensation loss, procedural justice and gender on organizational identification. The gender contingent moderation could be explained by the particular cultural context of China. The monetary basis of organizational identification could be accounted for by the nature of the factory under change.