Social Identity, Self-categorization, and Work Motivation: Rethinking the Contribution of the Group to Positive and Sustainable Organisational Outcomes

• Published in: Applied psychology 2000-07, Vol.49 (3), p.319-339
• Main Authors: Haslam, S. Alexander, Powell, Clare, Turner, John
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Contribution; Employees; Group processes; Motivation; Organizational performance; Selfcategorization theory; Social identity
• ISSN: 0269-994X; 1464-0597
• DOI: 10.1111/1464-0597.00018

Traditional needs theories centre around hierarchies ranging from ‘lower‐level’ needs for security, existence, or hygiene through to ‘higher‐level’ needs for self‐actualisation, achievement, and growth. As applied to the organisational domain, such theories tend to assume that an employee’s personal need for challenge and development is the best source of work motivation. Based on social identity and self‐categorisation theories, this paper interprets needs hierarchies as reflections of the variable definition of self. It suggests that the motivational impact of different needs changes as a function of the salience of norms and goals associated with self‐categories defined at varying levels of ion (personal, social, human). As a result, no one level of need is inherently more relevant to employee motivation than any other. This analysis also suggests that group‐based needs will play an especially important motivational role in situations where an individual’s social identity is salient. Following work by Tyler, data that support this argument are provided by a study in which employees’ willingness to engage in citizenship behaviour increased following manipulations of group‐based pride and respect. Results point to the productive and sustainable potential of self‐actualisation at a collective rather than just a personal level. Les the´ories traditionnelles des besoins produisent des hie´rarchies allant des besoins de la base (se´curite´, survie ou hygie`ne) aux besoins supe´rieurs (actualisation de soi, succe`s et de´veloppement). Applique´es au monde des organisations, ces the´ories pre´supposent que le meilleur stimulant de la motivation au travail est un besoin personnel orientant vers le de´fi et le de´veloppement. En s’appuyant sur les the´ories de l’identite´ sociale et de l’autocate´gorisation, cet article de´fend l’ide´e que les hie´rarchies de besoins sont des reflets des de´finitions diversifie´es de soi (dans la ligne´e de Haslam, sous presse; Turner, 1985). L’impact sur la motivation des diffe´rents besoins serait fonction de la pre´gnance des normes et des objectifs relie´s aux cate´gories de soi renvoyant a` diffe´rents niveaux d’ion (personnel, social, humain). Il apparaît qu’aucun niveau de besoin n’est intrinse`quement plus en phase avec la motivation des salarie´s que n’importe quel autre. Notre analyse indique aussi que les besoins lie´s a` la vie en groupe joueront un roôle motivationnel particulie`rement important dans les situations o