Sirkwoo Jin

(Merrimack College, 315 Turnpike Street, North Andover, MA 01845, USA)

 

 

Abstract: Research in organizational identity and identification has been heavily influenced by social identity theory. However, the current theory of social identity is limited to situations where organizations are perceived as distinct and salient. Drawing on ideas from “family resemblance” (Wittgenstein, 1953) and “relational structuralism” (Saussure, 1966), I propose an alternative perspective of how organizational members make sense of and internalize their organizational identities when organizational boundaries are blurry. This perspective extends the current scope of organizational identity and identification theory by considering the role of individual differences and industrial characteristics.

 

Key words: organizational identity; organizational identification; identity negotiation

JEL codes: M10, M12, M14