身份失灵对积极工作行为的影响:基于D校的案例研究

Impact of Identity Failure on Positive Work Behavior:A Case Study Based on D University

社会认同理论认为组织认同对个体积极工作行为起关键作用,获取或持续稳定扮演的组织身份失败(身份失灵)时难以产生积极行为,身份失灵能否以及如何影响个体积极工作行为的作用机制仍未厘清。此外,已有关于工作相关身份的研究认为,组织身份与职业身份往往相互独立甚至冲突,鲜有非冲突和身份失灵情景下多重工作身份关系的研究。基于扎根理论进行单案例研究,选取新创组织D高校为研究对象,获取书籍和网页信息作为文档二手资料,进行非正式和正式访谈获取一手资料。采取经典扎根理论方法对数据进行开放性编码、主轴编码和选择性编码,获得17个主题、8个类属、4个伞概念,并梳理概念间关系。通过构建身份失灵影响积极工作行为的过程模型,厘清身份失灵和积极工作行为的内涵,身份失灵包括组织身份威胁(组织身份无法持续稳定扮演)和职业身份异化(职业身份获取时未获得社会确认),并提出组织和工作特征-身份失灵-自我价值评估-积极工作行为的链条。研究结果表明,身份失灵通过引发个体对自我价值现状和需求的评估,在自我价值维持和提升动机下,促使个体采取积极工作行为修复失灵。研究关注了身份认同的反面,即身份失灵的类型和作用机制,完善了社会认同理论,顺应了管理研究近年来兼顾正反影响的趋势;打破了从组织认同视角解释积极影响的框架,从身份失灵视角解释积极行为;挑战当前研究组织和职业身份孤立甚至冲突的观点,提出二者在身份失灵时彼此强化、共同作用于积极工作行为,顺应了身份研究探索多重积极互动的发展方向。实践中,领导不必强求个体的组织认同,而是激发其提升自我的意识,在提升自己的同时增益组织。

Social identity theory proposes that organizational identification has a key influence on individuals’positive work behavior,and emphasizes that individuals couldn’t work positively if they fail to get the identity or are unable to enact the identity stably.However,how identity failure affects organizational behavior is still not clear although it is a much common phenomenon in organizations.Thus,the exploration of whether and how identity failure promotes individuals’positive work behavior becomes an integral part of improving social identity theory.In addition,previous research of work-related identity indicates the relationship between organizational and professional identity is incompatible or even conflicting,and there is little research which investigates the relationship in the context of non-conflict and identity failure.Based on the grounded theory,a single case study was conducted.This study selected the entrepreneurial organization D university was as the research object.Books and web information were obtained as second-hand documents,and informal and formal interviews were conducted to obtain first-hand information.The classical grounded theory method is adopted to carry out open coding,spindle coding and selective coding of data.At last,17 themes,8 categories,4 umbrella concepts and relations between concepts were obtained.By constructing a process model of identity failure affecting positive work behavior,we clarify the connotation of identity failure,namely organizational identity threat(organizational identity cannot be enacted continuously and stably)and professional identity alienation(failure to obtain social confirmation when obtaining professional identity),and positive work behavior.Then we put forward the chain of organizational and work characteristics-identity failure-self-worth evaluation-positive work behavior.The research results show that identity failure triggers an individual’s assessment of the status quo and needs of self-worth.Under the motivation of self-worth maintenance and improvement,it prompts individuals to take positive work behavior to repair the failure.This study explores the"negative side"of identification,that is,the types and impact of identity failure,improves social identity theory,which echoes the recent call in management studies of a comprehensive understanding of organizational practice from both the positive and negative side.This study breaks past framework of describing positive work behavior from positive side of organizational identification perspective,and explains this phenomenon from identity failure perspective.This study challenges previous view of the isolating or even conflicting relationship between organizational and professional identity and proposes that they reinforce each other and act together on positive behavior under identity failure context,which responds to the latest research direction of identity literature to discuss the multiple positive interaction and effect of multiple identities.In practice,managers do not have to force individual’s organizational identification,but can stimulate their awareness of self-enhancement so that the organization can benefit from it.