Dual organizational identification within multisite nonprofit organizations

Abstract

What influences the organizational identification of volunteers and employees within multisite nonprofit organizations? Specifically, is identification focused on the central office, affiliate office, or both? This study questions the self-assessed identification of those in affiliate offices over multiple levels, along with how variables such as distance, perceived organizational support, and competition impact these relationships. Based on a survey of 72 individuals, the findings show that those with a higher level of organizational identification with the affiliate office will also have a higher organizational identification with the central office. This identification could be because multiple levels of identification influence each other.

Keywords:

• Multisite nonprofit organizations
• organizational identification
• qualitative comparative analysis

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Lindsey McDougle, Frank Thompson, Gregg G. Van Ryzin, Laurie Paarlberg, Staci Zavattaro, and the anonymous reviewers for comments on earlier drafts of this article.

Notes

1 This study is part of a larger mixed methods study. The interviews above were taken from the qualitative portion of this study, which helped guide the QCA analysis.

2 Due to the nature of fsQCA, hypotheses are not usually proposed. For more information regarding the use of hypotheses in fsQCA, see Schneider and Wagemann (2012, pp. 296–300).

3 Schneider and Wagemann (2010) suggest that, due to its unique logic, studies in fsQCA should use distinct terminology, referring to independent variables as conditions, dependent variables instead of outcomes, and solutions instead of equations.

4 These results are similar to other studies of organizational identification. For example, Cole and Bruch (2006) had a mean of 4.26, 3.97, and 4.02 for different levels of organizational identification. Van Knippenberg, Van Dick, and Tavares (2007) reported a mean of 4.60 of organizational identification.

5 Consistency is calculated as ($X_i\le Y_i)=\sum (\mathit{min}(X_i,Y_i))/\sum (X_i).$ Coverage is calculated as$\mathrm{ }(X_i\le Y_i)=\sum (\mathit{min}(X_i,Y_i))/\sum (Y_i)$ (Ragin, 2006).

6 Sufficiency represents cases which are on the upper left side of the graph.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Seth J. Meyer

Seth J. Meyer, LMSW, PhD is a professor of nonprofit management in the Department of Political Science at Bridgewater State University. He received his PhD from Rutgers University-Newark School of Public Affairs and Administration. Seth’s research focuses on organizational behavior of nonprofit organizations and social equity.