The relationship between multiple network structures and organizational identification

This paper explores from a conceptual point of view the relationship between intra-organizational networks and organizational identification process. In particular, we aim to shed light into the reciprocal influence of members’ relations and their degree of identification with the focal organization. We argue that a) identification is a social mechanism grounded on a relational bases, besides on well studied individual perceptions, b) personal networks influence evaluations related to organizational membership, in addition to behavioral patterns. A careful examination of social identity theory and recent developments in social network analysis offers justification for our propositions. We derived a model of social influence between the two processes that can be empirically tested. This work may contribute to social identity theory as it explicitly outlines the relational basis of organizational identification that is mostly overlooked by researchers. It also develops social network literature providing a complementary explanation of relations’ formation and their structural configurations. Finally, we conciliate controversial results providing a holistic representation of the mechanisms taken into account.