Social identity conflict

Organizational responses to the increasingly varied composition of the workplace have engendered a complex mix of reactions. In the June 2003 issue of Social Psychology Quarterly, Kay Deaux and Daniela Martin argue that individuals who are not content with the status of their identity network may work either to raise the status of that group or seek alternatives with higher status. The authors suggest that individuals seeking alternative networks or social identities may be distressed by organizational efforts such as affirmative action. Therefore, in an attempt to address the needs of a group of people, organizations may overlook the fact that individuals differ widely in how much they identify with a given race, ethnic background or gender. Also, in the march 2003 issue of Group and Organizational Management, Karen L. Proudfoot and Kenwyn K. Smith analyze two business cases of social identity conflict in a large financial institution.