Assessing the effects of organizational identification on in‐role job performance and learning behaviour. The mediating role of learning goal orientation
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/00483481011017444 |
| Pages | 242-258 |
| Date | 09 February 2010 |
| Published date | 09 February 2010 |
| Author | Aamir Ali Chughtai,Finian Buckley |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour |
Assessing the effects of
organizational identification on
in-role job performance and
learning behaviour
The mediating role of learning goal orientation
Aamir Ali Chughtai and Finian Buckley
Dublin City University, Dublin City University Business School, Dublin, Ireland
Abstract
Purpose – The main purpose of this study is to examine the impact of organizational identification
on in-role job performance and two learning behaviours, namely, feedback seeking and error
communication. Furthermore, this research aims to establish the mediating role of learning goal
orientation in the relationship between organizational identification and the three outcome variables.
Design/methodology/approach – Data for this paper were gathered from 130 high school teachers
drawn from six schools operating in Pakistan. Multiple regression analyses were used to test the
research hypotheses.
Findings – The resultsshow that organizational identification has significant unique effects on in-role
job performance and error communication; whereas, it influences feedback seeking indirectly through
learning goal orientation. Additionally, the findings of this paper reveal that learning goal orientation
mediates the effects of organizational identification on the three outcome variables.
Research limitations/implications – The present paper uses a cross-sectional research design
and hence it is not possible to make inferences about causation. Also, the data for this study are
collected from a single source, which creates the problem of common method variance. However, in
spite of these limitations the results of this study indicate that organizational identification can play a
pivotal role in enhancing organizational effectiveness.
Originality/value – This is the first study which assesses the impact of organizational identification
on learning goal orientation, feedback seeking and error communication. Moreover, it is one of the few
studies which has empirically established the link between organizational identification and job
performance.
Keywords Feedback, Teachers,Schools, Pakistan, Work identity
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Organizational identification, which refers to the psychological attachment between an
individual and his or her work organization, has captured the attention of
organizational theorists and practitioners during the last decade because of the
positive effects that it has been shown to have on various work outcomes. For exam ple,
research studies have indicated that h igher identification leads to enhanced
performance, lower absenteeism and turnover rates, more extra-role behaviours,
greater job satisfaction, increased motivation and improved health and physical well
being (Van Dick et al., 2005). In view of this evidence it is reasonable to expect that
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
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PR
39,2
242
Received 25 June 2008
Revised August 2008
Accepted 24 March 2009
Personnel Review
Vol. 39 No. 2, 2010
pp. 242-258
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0048-3486
DOI 10.1108/00483481011017444
increased identification can play a pivotal role in augmenting organizational efficiency
and effectiveness.
The concept of organizational identification
The concept of organizational identification has its roots in the social identity theory.
According to the social identity theory, the self-concept of individuals consists of a
personal identity that includes distinctive individual characteristics (e.g. temperament,
skills), and a social identity that encompasses prominent group classifications (e.g.
nationality, team affiliation) (Tajfel and Turner, 1986). Social identity theory further
postulates that individuals tend to classify themselves into different social categories
and they “ascribe characteristics that are typical of these categories to themselves”
(Van Knippenberg and Van Schie, 2000, p. 138). Social identification is the perception of
belongingness to a group (Mael and Ashforth, 1992). Mael and Ashforth (1992) and
Pratt (1998) contend that through social identification individuals feel “psychol ogically
intertwined” with a group’s destiny. The more individuals identify with a specific
group the more their attitudes, behaviours and actions tend to be influenced by the
dynamics of this group membership (Tajfel and Turner, 1986). Organizational
identification refers to a particular type of social identification in which individuals
define themselves in terms of their organizational membership (Dutton et al., 1994). It is
defined as the “perception of oneness with or belongingness to the organization”
(Ashforth and Mael, 1989, p. 22) or “the degree to which a member defines him or
herself by the same attributes that he or she believes define the organization” (Dutton
et al., 1994, p. 239). In other words, organizational identification reflects the
amalgamation of the self and the concerned organization (Tyler and Balder, 2000).
The current study
Although organizational identification can lead to widespread benefits for both the
individuals and the organization, relatively few studies have sought to examine the
consequences of this construct (e.g. Dukerich et al., 2002; Riketta,2005; Riketta and Van
Dick, 2005; Carmeli et al., 2007). Therefore, the present study aims to expand the
organizational identification literature by examining its effects on three organizational
outcomes: self reported in-role job performance and two learning behaviours, namely,
feedback seeking and error communication. Although prior studies have explored the
relationship between in-role job performance and organizational identification (Riketta,
2005; Carmeli et al., 2007),we are unaware of any published study, which has previously
investigated the impact of organizational identification on learning behaviour.
Additionally, this study suggests one potential mechanism through which
organizational identification can affect our three organizational outcomes. More
specifically, this paper highlights the role of learning goal orientation, an individual
difference variable which reflects one’s desire to develop competence (Dweck , 1986), as
an intervening variable, which links organizational identification to job performance
and the two learning behaviours. Thus, the second objective of the current study is to
establish if learning goal orientation mediates the effects of organizational
identification on the three outcome variables.
Finally, another novel feature of the current study is the context and the geographic
location in which itis based. More particularly, the presentinvestigation was conducted
among Pakistani high school teachers. The relatively small number of studies that have
been conducted in the school setting have mostly been based in western societies
The mediating
role of learning
goal orientation
243
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