This empirical study is designed to examine issues associated with who people believe they are and the effect that that has on how they behave. Specif Show moreThis empirical study is designed to examine issues associated with who people believe they are and the effect that that has on how they behave. Specifically, it considers the separate and combined effect of three individually focused identity constructs – organizational, ethnic, and professional identity – on workplace behaviors perceived by the person or significant others as being either socially desirable or deviant. The behaviors are examined from the perspective of whether they are directed toward fellow employees or the work institution itself. The paper also considers whether two dimensions of organizational culture moderate the identity-influenced expressions of particular behaviors. Information was gathered from randomly selected individuals, from across the United States, through an electronic survey. Participants worked in a range of non-profit, public, and for profit organizations and included front line direct service personnel as well as self-employed individuals, educators, and organizational leaders. A key finding was that individuals who reported higher levels of various identities did not exhibit more socially desirable workplace behaviors as had been initially hypothesized. However, both the supervision and teamwork dimensions of organizational culture were found to significantly reduce socially deviant workplace behaviors and positively influence socially desirable ones. Doctorate of Management Programs Show less
