Social Identity in a Company

Social Identity in a Company

Introduction

Organizational identity remains one of the elements that have been far wide considered as critical in underpinning behavior. Corporate identity plays a significant role in affecting the satisfaction of employees and its efficiency. However, empirical and theoretical underpinnings reveal that social identity remains a phenomenon that has been widely confused for organizational identity. The integration of the social identity model, therefore, restores coherence to incorporate identification, suggesting its impact on enhancing organizational behavior. The social identity model reveals that individuals within a work environment often classify themselves into varied social groups and categories that include religious beliefs, corporate memberships, gender, as well as age cohorts. These factors act as an indication that employees may be classified within varied categories, given their prototypical characteristics. Social identity harnessed inappropriately within an organization may result in conflicts within an organization.

Social Identity

The social identity model remains one of the elaborate phenomena that widely tested to underscore social relations in different groups. Social ties, therefore, focuses on the substantial roles of different groups. As such, social relations seek to establish the profound impact of teams and individuals in an organization. According to the social identity model, individuals are often in varied social groups. In other words, individuals often derive their identities from the established group associations and memberships (Bingöl et al., 2013). The identities of individuals in these groups play a fundamental role in the realization of their behaviors and attitudes towards others, society, and institutions. The social identity model is developed with the intent of understanding group relations. Such relations remain abundant in complex organizations, thus providing the need for management measures. Organizational issues that include communication and leadership processes besides the diversity and gender issues revolve around social identity models.

Issues Regarding Social Identity

In any business environment, the behaviors and actions of employers and employees evolve together. Besides this, business activities are often fused—an indicator that results in the expression of an individual’s identity. As established, several factors lead to triggering adverse or negative and positive human behaviors (Davis et al., 2019). Social identity, in this case, remains fundamental in underscoring the behaviors of employees within a social class. According to Davis et al. (2019), social identity is considered as a problematic aspect that needs minimization, given its impact on increasing positive social results and low-status within a group.

Osmows Station and its Issues

A few years ago, an employee at Osmows sued the company in a $16 million lawsuit over allegations of gender discrimination. The plaintiff alleged that the company sidelined her for promotions based on her gender, a move that later led to her termination from employment before bringing up the case in court (Korostelina, 2014). The plaintiff lost her case due to the biases of the judicial system on matters gender; this case drew greater scrutiny on the underrepresentation of women in venture capital and tech firms.

The current trend denotes the need for a diversified workforce that provides inclusivity to women at the workplace.  Managers, however, continually encounter challenges dealing with variances that exist between these employees’ professional lives. The most proverbial issue facing women in the workplace today is the battle against social identity as generated by their gender. According to Korostelina (2014), the growth of such factors are triggered by discriminatory pay/wage practices within the work environment. On the other hand, biased workplace reforms, partial opportunities to build their careers, leadership styles, and unfair treatment of women in the workplace contribute to these issues.

Recommendation

Managers may assist in guiding employees to understand their capacities. On the other hand, the managers of the company may choose those to use in the venture, encourage learning and connections within the groups. The integration of these measures will significantly reduce the element of contention brokenness and enhance the handling of the contentious situation within the company. Managers equally need to recognize the social attributes that can assist in building cooperation with behavioral factors and associations (Stets & Burke, 2000). Such efforts will limit the existence of clashes by encouraging an atmosphere of business interest. The company’s management style needs to include a variety of factors, which include; correspondence examples, coordinated effort as well as clash determination behavior.

Secondly, the managers may have similar compelling elements while connecting with the employees. Creating and building such an environment assists in making a positive workplace culture that reduces strife. Consequently, particular objective and style structures of a group affect the progression of the group, which assumes the major part in dealing and controlling. Managers equally need to encourage and accept to guide the group’s self-management through self-perception, self-support, as well as self-assessment (Van Laar et al., 2010). This method ensures teams gain more and learn of their social identities. On the other hand, it expands cooperation and enhances employee contribution to the best endeavors. The managers may need to guide employees in the right direction to acquire the best results.

Implementation

• Osmows, as adduced in this case, may need to establish proper work reforms in a bid to ensure that women attain the required positions within the work environment.
• The company equally needs to address the conflicts emanating from different social groups within the work environment.
• Competency in the establishment of a culture that embraces women as well as other social groups within the company would play a role in balancing relations between the workers.
• The company needs to scrape off some of the biased workplace policies that place constraints on women in senior positions, albeit limiting their advancement.
• Create opportunities for the high performing employees within the organization irrespective of their social standing.
• Create and build an environment that assists in making a positive workplace culture that reduces strife.
• Recognize the social attributes that can assist in building cooperation with behavioral factors and associations.

References

Bingöl, D., Şener, İ., & Çevik, E. (2013). The Effect of Organizational Culture on Organizational Image and Identity: Evidence from a Pharmaceutical Company. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 99, 222–229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.10.489

Davis, J. L., Love, T. P., & Fares, P. (2019). Collective Social Identity: Synthesizing Identity Theory and Social Identity Theory Using Digital Data. Social Psychology Quarterly, 019027251985102. https://doi.org/10.1177/0190272519851025

Korostelina, K. (2014). Intergroup Identity Insults A Social Identity Theory Perspective. Identity, 14(3), 214–229. https://doi.org/10.1080/15283488.2014.921170

Stets, J. E., & Burke, P. J. (2000). Identity Theory and Social Identity Theory. Social Psychology Quarterly, 63(3), 224. https://doi.org/10.2307/2695870

Van Laar, C., Derks, B., Ellemers, N., & Bleeker, D. (2010). Valuing Social Identity: Consequences for Motivation and Performance in Low-Status Groups. Journal of Social Issues, 66(3), 602–617. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4560.2010.01665.x

Appendix

Interview

For this study, an interview will be conducted with an employee as Osmows—a small restaurant within the center of Streetsville. The interview questions are provided below:

1. What are some of the conflicts that emerge within the organization as a result of different social identities?
2. Does social identity impact your performance within your group?
3. What are some of the strategies used by the organization to create a culture that embraces all employees, regardless of their social identities?
4. Are there policies within the organization that addresses social identity issues?
5. What are some of the existing social groups within the company?
6. Do these social groups affect the performance of the company?
7. Does the organization’s environment encourage social groupings?
8. What are some of the issues that the company has faced regarding the growth of social identities?
9. How often does the organization revise its policies to suit and address the needs of different social groups?
10. Do you agree with the fact that social groups and identities inhibit the performance of an organization?