Roles in Networked Organizations
Required readings summary
, Role theory in organizations: a relational perspective
Sluss, Dick & Thompson (2011)
Each individual has different roles that are played separately or simultaneously. Individuals and
organizations cannot function without roles. In organizations, roles become the nexus (verband) for
how work is designed, communicated, accomplished, evaluated, and experienced.
The concept of identity within organizational research traditionally focusses upon how a collective
(organization) or a social category (gender, nationality) influences one’s self-concepts and behavior.
Social identity theory and role identity theory focus on how social structure (society) influences self-
concept which influences one’s affect, behavior, and cognition.
Role Identity and Social Identity Theories:
Role identity is a cognitive schema that stores information, expectations and meaning attached to a
role and serves as a framework for interpreting in-role and extra-role behavior. Role identity
includes the goals, values, beliefs, norms, interaction style, and time horizons associated with a role.
It integrate both the structural-functionalist and symbolic interactionist perspectives.
• Structural-functionalist; how social structure institutionalizes stable behavior expectations
across situations, depending upon function, hierarchy, and status; how that position
influences self-concept.
• Symbolic-interactionism; how individuals interrelate across the role-relationships creating
role identity and providing a working template or cognitive schema to interpret in-role and
extra-role experience.
Roles are born from the negotiation and interactive processes that are inherent in working out the
trade of goods, services, information, or whatever is of value to that particular role relationship.
Role identity theory, (within microsociology) leans on the supposition that ‘society’ begets role
expectations and that ‘society’ is seen as a “mosaic of relatively durable patterned interactions and
relationships, embedded in an array of groups.
Role theory within organizations place ‘society’ at the organizational level wherein there is a myriad
of potential role identities and subsequent role-relationships. Organizational roles are natural
outcomes due to a nexus of transactions and contracts.
Role identity salience:
Higher salience increases the reason to pick that role and is determined by;
• The number of role-relationships tied to the role and
• The strength or intensity of the relational
ties within these role-relationships
Role identification moderates the relationship
between identity salience and role choice behavior
such that role identification will facilitate the
association between perceiving the role identity as
salient and acting in accordance to that role versus
some other salient role
One’s identity salience hierarchy may become a type
of “personality variable carried … across situations”.
,Relational breadth and depth:
A role is not lived or maintained ‘solo’ but relies on the relational incumbents to give it meaning and
substance. Role identities may span from generalized understandings of a role (e.g., being an
accountant) to particularized (and negotiated) role-relationships with specific others. For example, a
student is only a student when there is a teacher, other students, etc.
Identity salience may be extended from a
simple frequency count of relationships
to role-relationship ‘depth’ (i.e., number
of abstraction levels from generalized to
particularized) as well as ‘breadth’ (i.e.,
number of relational others at each level
of abstraction; The more the depth and
breadth of role-relationships attached to
a role, the higher role identity salience.
Relational identification:
Relational identification is the practical definition of one self’s in terms of given role-relationship. It
can also function at the generalized and particularized level. It may take on different valences;
• Relational identification (positively viewed relationship);
• Relational disidentification (negatively viewed relationship);
• Ambivalent relational identification (mixed perceptions concerning the role-relationship)
Situational determinants of role identity salience:
Roles may be viewed as social categories or collectives in which one may be a member; one can
define oneself in terms of a role resulting in role identification.
Situational factors; Social identity theory (SIT) and self-categorization theory (SCT) provide additional
insight into the role identity salience hierarchy. Identity salience becomes an important component
in explaining identity-relevant attitudes and behaviors. A category is more salient if the individual is
predisposed to perceive that category as relevant (accessibility) and if both the category and the
situation match the individual’s expectations and if reality is matching these expectations.
Accessibility; Accessibility describes the extent to which it has prior meaning and significance for the
individual. The higher this prior meaning of a category the less input is necessary to activate this
specific role. Identity salience is conceptualized as flexible and situationally determined.
Normative and comparative fit; Fit refers to the match between an activated category (e.g., a
manager’s role) and the stimulus reality (e.g., the context of a weekly meeting between the
manager and his/her subordinates).
• Normative fit describes a principle “which suggests that a given category is more likely to
become salient to the extent that the pattern of observed content-related similarities and
differences between category members is consistent with the perceiver’s prior
expectations”.
• Comparative fit describes a principle “which suggests that a given category is more likely to
become salient to the extent that the differences between members of that category are
perceived to be smaller than the differences between members of that category and
comparison others”.
, Identity salience increases:
• When the category is simply mentioned; presenting the colors of the university the student
participants belonged to was sufficient to increase performance
• When an individual encounters other people within the context of relevant other categories
such as a manager meeting a subordinate during an appraisal; or when the context suggests
that a specific role identity will be expected
• When role incumbents perceive to be in conflict or having incompatible goals (such as
managers meeting with union representatives)
Strong organizational identification relates to lower turnover and turnover intentions, higher
willingness to show extra-role behavior, stronger customer orientation, or more creative effort.
The relational level of self is derived from interpersonal relationships with the welfare of the dyad as
the focus of motivation. The collective level of self (a la Social Identity Theory) is derived from
impersonal group memberships with the welfare of the group as the focus of motivation.
Three components of identification:
• An affective component (How much do I value the identity?);
• An evaluative component (How much do I think others value this identity?); as well as
• A cognitive component (self-categorization; Do I see myself as a member of the category?)
Social identity theory argues that people strive for a positive self-concept and that one’s identity
partly consists of one’s memberships in social groups – the roles one holds in organizations.
An individual who identifies more strongly with their role will have more of his or her needs satisfied
via the role and is more likely to enact the role expectations and role choice behavior.
While relational (i.e., relational depth / breadth, relational identification) and structural factors (i.e.,
accessibility and fit) drive role identity salience, role identification strengthens the relationship
between role identity salience (wherein the identity is activated) and role-choice behavior.
Multiple roles:
The individual has multiple coexisting identities and that the level of salience determines which of
those identities become relevant for one’s behavior provided that there is an identity-behavior
match.
Current research on multiple roles:
Self-theories are the multiple hypotheses a person has about one's self to guide perceptions,
thoughts, and actions.
The "working self-concept is influential in the shaping and controlling of intra-personal behavior
(self-relevant information processing, affect regulation; and motivational processes) and
interpersonal processes, which include social perception, social comparison, and social interaction"
The self-concept;
• Contains a stable aspect,
• May change in differing situations,
• Is closely linked to traits, values, and behavior
The self-concepts that individuals possess may be considered as separate role identities that carry
information about proper behaviors, what values are salient, and what attitudes are relevant for a
Required readings summary
, Role theory in organizations: a relational perspective
Sluss, Dick & Thompson (2011)
Each individual has different roles that are played separately or simultaneously. Individuals and
organizations cannot function without roles. In organizations, roles become the nexus (verband) for
how work is designed, communicated, accomplished, evaluated, and experienced.
The concept of identity within organizational research traditionally focusses upon how a collective
(organization) or a social category (gender, nationality) influences one’s self-concepts and behavior.
Social identity theory and role identity theory focus on how social structure (society) influences self-
concept which influences one’s affect, behavior, and cognition.
Role Identity and Social Identity Theories:
Role identity is a cognitive schema that stores information, expectations and meaning attached to a
role and serves as a framework for interpreting in-role and extra-role behavior. Role identity
includes the goals, values, beliefs, norms, interaction style, and time horizons associated with a role.
It integrate both the structural-functionalist and symbolic interactionist perspectives.
• Structural-functionalist; how social structure institutionalizes stable behavior expectations
across situations, depending upon function, hierarchy, and status; how that position
influences self-concept.
• Symbolic-interactionism; how individuals interrelate across the role-relationships creating
role identity and providing a working template or cognitive schema to interpret in-role and
extra-role experience.
Roles are born from the negotiation and interactive processes that are inherent in working out the
trade of goods, services, information, or whatever is of value to that particular role relationship.
Role identity theory, (within microsociology) leans on the supposition that ‘society’ begets role
expectations and that ‘society’ is seen as a “mosaic of relatively durable patterned interactions and
relationships, embedded in an array of groups.
Role theory within organizations place ‘society’ at the organizational level wherein there is a myriad
of potential role identities and subsequent role-relationships. Organizational roles are natural
outcomes due to a nexus of transactions and contracts.
Role identity salience:
Higher salience increases the reason to pick that role and is determined by;
• The number of role-relationships tied to the role and
• The strength or intensity of the relational
ties within these role-relationships
Role identification moderates the relationship
between identity salience and role choice behavior
such that role identification will facilitate the
association between perceiving the role identity as
salient and acting in accordance to that role versus
some other salient role
One’s identity salience hierarchy may become a type
of “personality variable carried … across situations”.
,Relational breadth and depth:
A role is not lived or maintained ‘solo’ but relies on the relational incumbents to give it meaning and
substance. Role identities may span from generalized understandings of a role (e.g., being an
accountant) to particularized (and negotiated) role-relationships with specific others. For example, a
student is only a student when there is a teacher, other students, etc.
Identity salience may be extended from a
simple frequency count of relationships
to role-relationship ‘depth’ (i.e., number
of abstraction levels from generalized to
particularized) as well as ‘breadth’ (i.e.,
number of relational others at each level
of abstraction; The more the depth and
breadth of role-relationships attached to
a role, the higher role identity salience.
Relational identification:
Relational identification is the practical definition of one self’s in terms of given role-relationship. It
can also function at the generalized and particularized level. It may take on different valences;
• Relational identification (positively viewed relationship);
• Relational disidentification (negatively viewed relationship);
• Ambivalent relational identification (mixed perceptions concerning the role-relationship)
Situational determinants of role identity salience:
Roles may be viewed as social categories or collectives in which one may be a member; one can
define oneself in terms of a role resulting in role identification.
Situational factors; Social identity theory (SIT) and self-categorization theory (SCT) provide additional
insight into the role identity salience hierarchy. Identity salience becomes an important component
in explaining identity-relevant attitudes and behaviors. A category is more salient if the individual is
predisposed to perceive that category as relevant (accessibility) and if both the category and the
situation match the individual’s expectations and if reality is matching these expectations.
Accessibility; Accessibility describes the extent to which it has prior meaning and significance for the
individual. The higher this prior meaning of a category the less input is necessary to activate this
specific role. Identity salience is conceptualized as flexible and situationally determined.
Normative and comparative fit; Fit refers to the match between an activated category (e.g., a
manager’s role) and the stimulus reality (e.g., the context of a weekly meeting between the
manager and his/her subordinates).
• Normative fit describes a principle “which suggests that a given category is more likely to
become salient to the extent that the pattern of observed content-related similarities and
differences between category members is consistent with the perceiver’s prior
expectations”.
• Comparative fit describes a principle “which suggests that a given category is more likely to
become salient to the extent that the differences between members of that category are
perceived to be smaller than the differences between members of that category and
comparison others”.
, Identity salience increases:
• When the category is simply mentioned; presenting the colors of the university the student
participants belonged to was sufficient to increase performance
• When an individual encounters other people within the context of relevant other categories
such as a manager meeting a subordinate during an appraisal; or when the context suggests
that a specific role identity will be expected
• When role incumbents perceive to be in conflict or having incompatible goals (such as
managers meeting with union representatives)
Strong organizational identification relates to lower turnover and turnover intentions, higher
willingness to show extra-role behavior, stronger customer orientation, or more creative effort.
The relational level of self is derived from interpersonal relationships with the welfare of the dyad as
the focus of motivation. The collective level of self (a la Social Identity Theory) is derived from
impersonal group memberships with the welfare of the group as the focus of motivation.
Three components of identification:
• An affective component (How much do I value the identity?);
• An evaluative component (How much do I think others value this identity?); as well as
• A cognitive component (self-categorization; Do I see myself as a member of the category?)
Social identity theory argues that people strive for a positive self-concept and that one’s identity
partly consists of one’s memberships in social groups – the roles one holds in organizations.
An individual who identifies more strongly with their role will have more of his or her needs satisfied
via the role and is more likely to enact the role expectations and role choice behavior.
While relational (i.e., relational depth / breadth, relational identification) and structural factors (i.e.,
accessibility and fit) drive role identity salience, role identification strengthens the relationship
between role identity salience (wherein the identity is activated) and role-choice behavior.
Multiple roles:
The individual has multiple coexisting identities and that the level of salience determines which of
those identities become relevant for one’s behavior provided that there is an identity-behavior
match.
Current research on multiple roles:
Self-theories are the multiple hypotheses a person has about one's self to guide perceptions,
thoughts, and actions.
The "working self-concept is influential in the shaping and controlling of intra-personal behavior
(self-relevant information processing, affect regulation; and motivational processes) and
interpersonal processes, which include social perception, social comparison, and social interaction"
The self-concept;
• Contains a stable aspect,
• May change in differing situations,
• Is closely linked to traits, values, and behavior
The self-concepts that individuals possess may be considered as separate role identities that carry
information about proper behaviors, what values are salient, and what attitudes are relevant for a
