Toward a Contingency Framework of Interpersonal Information Sources in Organizational Identification Diffusion

58 Pages Posted: 31 Mar 2012

See all articles by Florian Kraus

Florian Kraus

University of Mannheim

Michael Ahearne

University of Houston - C.T. Bauer College of Business

Son K. Lam

University of Georgia - Department of Marketing

Jan Weiseke

University of Mannheim

Date Written: March 29, 2012

Abstract

Drawing from the social information processing approach, the authors develop a contingency framework that captures organizational identification (OI) diffusion through two key interpersonal influencers, supervisors and expert peers. In two multi-level studies in two countries, results consistently show that supervisors’ and expert peers are important influencers of OI diffusion because their OI is positively related to frontline employees’ OI. As the focal employee’s organizational tenure increases, the lateral OI transmission from expert peers grows stronger while the downward OI transmission from supervisors grows weaker. Work-group OI diversity weakens both the downward and the lateral transmission. A time-lagged analysis further validates the temporal order of these processes. OI in turn predicts frontline employees’ objective performance. The authors discuss theoretical and managerial implications.

Keywords: organizational identification, social identity theory, social influence, multilevel analysis

Suggested Citation

Kraus, Florian and Ahearne, Michael and Lam, Son K. and Weiseke, Jan, Toward a Contingency Framework of Interpersonal Information Sources in Organizational Identification Diffusion (March 29, 2012). Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Forthcoming, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2031110

Florian Kraus

University of Mannheim ( email )

Germany
+49.621.181 2662 (Phone)
+49.621.181 2672 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://kraus.bwl.uni-mannheim.de/de/team/prof_dr_florian_kraus/

Michael Ahearne (Contact Author)

University of Houston - C.T. Bauer College of Business ( email )

334 Melcher Hall
Houston, TX 77204-6021
United States
713-743-4155 (Phone)
713-743-4572 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.bauer.uh.edu/Directory/profile.asp?firstname=Michael&lastname=Ahearne

Son K. Lam

University of Georgia - Department of Marketing ( email )

GA
United States

Jan Weiseke

University of Mannheim ( email )

Universitaetsbibliothek Mannheim
Zeitschriftenabteilung
Mannheim, 68131
Germany

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