flipping the identity coin - erasmus university … the identity coin the comparative effect of...

Flipping the Identity CoinThe Comparative Effect of Perceived, Projected and DesiredOrganizational Identity on Organizational Identification andDesired Behavior

It is especially during times of uncertainty or change in an organiza-tion, that a major concern for organizational management is how toelicit and maintain a high degree of identification and desired beha-vior from their members. Traditionally, scholars have taken a“bottom-up approach” in understanding these organizational proces-ses, where the assumption is that members’ own, private perceptionsof who their organization is, i.e. their perceived organizational iden-tity, is the core driver of their identification and behavior. I challengethis one-sided approach of perceived organizational identity on thegrounds that by focusing solely on members’ organizational identityperceptions, we disregard the “top-down approach”, i.e. the impor-tant role that management plays in setting an overall collectiveframework that directs and guides members in their identificationand behavior. This dissertation is the first to empirically test the comparative signi-ficance of bottom-up and top-down identity types. Through threeempirical studies in two different organizational settings, I study thisforce field between the bottom-up and top-down identity processes.My results indicate that especially during times of threat andorganizational change, the role of perceived organizational identityis not nearly as prevalent as generally assumed. It is not only theperceived organizational identity in and of itself that drives iden-tification and behavior, but also the degree to which membersbelieve that their perceived organizational identity is consistent withthe top-down determined identity types of projected and desiredorganizational identity. In doing so, this work takes a more integrativeapproach to organizational identity processes.

ERIMThe Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM) is the ResearchSchool (Onderzoekschool) in the field of management of the ErasmusUniversity Rotterdam. The founding participants of ERIM are RSMErasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics. ERIM wasfounded in 1999 and is officially accredited by the Royal NetherlandsAcademy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). The research undertaken byERIM is focussed on the management of the firm in its environment,its intra- and inter-firm relations, and its business processes in theirinterdependent connections. The objective of ERIM is to carry out first rate research in manage-ment, and to offer an advanced graduate program in Research inManagement. Within ERIM, over two hundred senior researchers andPh.D. candidates are active in the different research programs. From avariety of academic backgrounds and expertises, the ERIM communityis united in striving for excellence and working at the forefront ofcreating new business knowledge.

www.erim.eur.nl ISBN 90-5892-148-2

MIRDITA N. ELSTAK

Flipping the Identity CoinThe Comparative Effect of Perceived,Projected and Desired OrganizationalIdentity on Organizational Identificationand Desired Behavior

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

During my PhD, whenever someone would ask me about my progress, I would joke and say that I had

already finished writing the dissertation and was working on my acknowledgements. Acknowledgements

became symbolic for “the dissertation is done”. Now I have finally reached that point. And it feels good.

To my “Dutch surrogate parents” Cees and Joke: I am so indebted to you for so many things.

Cees, it has been wonderful to work with you for over ten (!) years; you have been a great supervisor and

mentor whom I could always count on. For all the meetings we ever had, I would not once come out of

them feeling discouraged, you are a master at tackling problems, thinking big, inspiring others and making

things exciting while never loosing track of getting the job done. Joke, to me you epitomize “joie de

vivre”, and you are truly a joy. If only the world had more “Jokes”! Also, if there is anyone, who could

have made me appreciate Rotterdam, it is you; no one in the world loves Rotterdam as much as you do!

I would also like to thank all my colleagues at the Corporate Communication Centre: Edwin,

Mignon, Guido, Ahong, Fred, Marijke, Majorie en Patricia, for your support, the interesting research

sessions and the good times. Ahong, I have to say, you are one of the most cheerful and sweetest persons

I know, I really enjoyed your company. And of course Guido…where would we all be without Guido,

our master of statistics! Thank you for your continuous explanations, references and your overall advice.

Johan van Rekom, Pursey Heugens and Kevin Corley, thank you, for providing me with valuable

feedback on my papers and for helping me develop and sharpen my thinking. Kevin, I will never forget,

you provided me with the best advice ever on my first Academy paper: “a good academic paper is the

complete opposite of a Hollywood script; the clue always comes first”. I am grateful to ERIM, NWO and

the Vereniging Trustfonds Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam for supporting my research; thank you Tineke

van der Vhee, for always being there for us, PhD students. I am particularly thankful to Karen, Harold

and Joyce from “Pecunia” and Claudia from “Concrete”: thank you for providing me with access to your

organizations, especially during hectic and sometimes even challenging times. Without your time, effort

and dedication these studies would not have turned out to be as interesting and rewarding as they did.

I would like to thank Michael Pratt, not only for joining me on my defense all the way from

Illinois, but even more so for enabling me to spend a semester at the University of Illinois at Urbana-

Champaign, to work with you on a paper. It was one of the most interesting and valuable experiences of

my years as a doctoral student! To the Illinois family: Heather, Teresa, Erik, Abhijeet, Ece, Naina, Lu,

Emily, Lina, Prasanna and Ricardo; I truly enjoyed our exciting and stimulating research seminars, our

Chinese lunches and great parties! Thank you for a fantastic semester!

Cornelis, I am grateful for everything; take good care my friend.

A Turkish proverb says, “No road is long with good company”. Mignon, I cannot imagine how

my PhD experience would have been without you. Whether you were in the same office, the office next

door, down the hall or in Oklahoma, you were always there to proofread emails, papers, whole parts of

my dissertation and philosophize about loads of personal stuff! My Buddy-Boerenkool-Diederik, my

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Figure 6-5 Moderation Effects Perceived External Prestige

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PEP Low: 1sd. below mean

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Flipping the Identity CoinThe Comparative Effect of Perceived, Projected and DesiredOrganizational Identity on Organizational Identification andDesired Behavior

It is especially during times of uncertainty or change in an organiza-tion, that a major concern for organizational management is how toelicit and maintain a high degree of identification and desired beha-vior from their members. Traditionally, scholars have taken a“bottom-up approach” in understanding these organizational proces-ses, where the assumption is that members’ own, private perceptionsof who their organization is, i.e. their perceived organizational iden-tity, is the core driver of their identification and behavior. I challengethis one-sided approach of perceived organizational identity on thegrounds that by focusing solely on members’ organizational identityperceptions, we disregard the “top-down approach”, i.e. the impor-tant role that management plays in setting an overall collectiveframework that directs and guides members in their identificationand behavior. This dissertation is the first to empirically test the comparative signi-ficance of bottom-up and top-down identity types. Through threeempirical studies in two different organizational settings, I study thisforce field between the bottom-up and top-down identity processes.My results indicate that especially during times of threat andorganizational change, the role of perceived organizational identityis not nearly as prevalent as generally assumed. It is not only theperceived organizational identity in and of itself that drives iden-tification and behavior, but also the degree to which membersbelieve that their perceived organizational identity is consistent withthe top-down determined identity types of projected and desiredorganizational identity. In doing so, this work takes a more integrativeapproach to organizational identity processes.

ERIMThe Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM) is the ResearchSchool (Onderzoekschool) in the field of management of the ErasmusUniversity Rotterdam. The founding participants of ERIM are RSMErasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics. ERIM wasfounded in 1999 and is officially accredited by the Royal NetherlandsAcademy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). The research undertaken byERIM is focussed on the management of the firm in its environment,its intra- and inter-firm relations, and its business processes in theirinterdependent connections. The objective of ERIM is to carry out first rate research in manage-ment, and to offer an advanced graduate program in Research inManagement. Within ERIM, over two hundred senior researchers andPh.D. candidates are active in the different research programs. From avariety of academic backgrounds and expertises, the ERIM communityis united in striving for excellence and working at the forefront ofcreating new business knowledge.

www.erim.eur.nl ISBN 90-5892-148-2

MIRDITA N. ELSTAK

Flipping the Identity CoinThe Comparative Effect of Perceived,Projected and Desired OrganizationalIdentity on Organizational Identificationand Desired Behavior

Desig

n: B

&T O

ntw

erp en

advies w

ww

.b-en

-t.nl

Print:H

aveka ww

w.h

aveka.nl

117

MIR

DITA

N. E

LS

TAK

Flip

pin

g th

e Id

en

tity C

oin

Erim - 07 omslag Elstak 9/19/07 3:56 PM Pagina 1

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