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Cooperative Behavior in Organiztions: Justice, Identity and Engagement

Thomas Tyler, New York University
Description
Semester:
- Winter 1999
Speakers:
Lecture Time:
Fri, January 22, 1999 @ 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm
Lecture Location:
Room 4212, School of Education
Speaker Webpage(s):
Introduced By:
No introduction available.
Abstract
A core question in the study of organizations is why people cooperate with the organizations to which they belong. In this analysis I argue that cooperative behavior is linked to the role organizations play in defining and maintaining people’s social identities. Organizations define social identities in two ways. First, organizations provide categories defining the prototypical attributes associated with organizational membership. These attributes become the salient dimensions in people’s social identities. Second, the status associated with the organization influences people’s feelings of self-esteem and self-worth. It is the latter of these two functions that is the focus of this chapter. When people receive favorable identity-relevant information from membership in an organization they respond by cooperating–i.e. by following organizational rules, acting in ways which help the organization and showing loyalty to the organization. Further, people respond to favorable identity-relevant information by developing internal values that lead them to voluntarily engage in such cooperative behaviors. Two identity relevant judgments are distinguished: pride and respect. Pride reflects evaluations of the status of one’s organization. Respect reflects assessments of how one is evaluated by others in the organization. Both identity-relevant judgments influence the extent to which people engage in cooperative behavior.
Recording & Additional Notes
No recordings available.
Introducer: Laura Morgan, Psychology