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Diversity as a Basis for Shared Organizational Identity: The Norm Congruity Principle
Author(s) -
Rink Floor,
Ellemers Naomi
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
british journal of management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.407
H-Index - 108
eISSN - 1467-8551
pISSN - 1045-3172
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-8551.2007.00523.x
Subject(s) - diversity (politics) , social identity theory , norm (philosophy) , organizational identification , identity (music) , social psychology , identification (biology) , psychology , organizational identity , sociology , epistemology , social group , organizational commitment , philosophy , botany , anthropology , biology , aesthetics
Although the social identity approach is generally used to explain the negative consequences of diversity for the formation of a common identity within organizations, we propose that social identity processes can also lead employees to evaluate their differences in a positive way. We propose norm‐congruency as a central principle to understand these issues. We argue that when differences among team members in organizations are congruent with norms and expectations, diversity can become a basis for organizational identification.