Relational Versus Collective Identification Within Workgroups

This article distinguishes between two types of employee identification developed in organizational workgroups: (1) relational identification, which arises from connections and role relationships with other members in a workgroup, and (2) collective identification, which arises from the shared characteristics of a workgroup as a whole. Using three independent field samples, the authors generated new, context-specific measurements for relational and collective identification using an inductive, multistage approach; established their construct validity; and provided evidence for their differential antecedents and consequences in organizational workgroups. Results indicate that relational and collective identification are distinct constructs and that they are embedded in separate nomological networks.