Building commitment: Social Identification Process of IBON International Staff

Abstract

The objective of the study was to explore how shared social identity of IBON International staff serves to facilitate or hinder building of organisational commitment. Respondents of the study were all of the 29 staff members of IBON International (excluding the Director). Data were collected through questionnaires, focused group discussion and individual interviews. The research instrument was developed based on the literature on Social Identity and Organizational Commitment. The measure for Social Identity was based on Mael and Ashforth’s Six-item Measure of Social Identification. The measure for Organizational Commitment variables was based on Allen and Meyer’s Organizational Commitment Questionnaire. The questions developed to explore the social identity process were based on Ashforth, Harrison and Corley’s Process Model of Identification. Pearson correlation, analysis of variance and identification of key trends were used to analyze personal and demographic characteristics as well as the levels and process of social identification in relation to organizational commitment. Respondents were given an orientation on the study during a staff meeting and signed an informed consent form. Results showed that staff members with a higher level of identification and who have stayed in the organization longer have higher affective commitment to the organization. Further, results suggested that the staff develops a sense of shared social or organizational identity through an iterative process of enacting identity, sensebreaking, sensegiving, sensemaking and constructing identity narrative.