social identity theory

Question 1.

1. a) The social identity theory argues that there are some groups that the people belong to in the society and they will always do their best to belong to the group in all the activities that they do. The financial reward system will always improve the function of the individuals in the workplace. The people in the peer group where the individual is working may be earning more money in cash rewards, a situation that will encourage an individual to work harder so that he or she can match them (Chapter 12 page 214). A person will perform better if he or she is in a higher performing group that earns more in cash rewards. The individual will be on toes to improve his or her skills from time to time so that he or she is not outcompeted. The groups with constructive competition are likely to improve the performance of an individual as opposed to the group that lacks the social type of competition. The social exchange theory explains that the changes that occur in the society and the stability achieved are as a result of negotiated exchanges between the parties. It suggests that the relationships between human beings are as a result of the cost-benefit analysis among the parties and a comparison of the available alternatives (chapter 10 page 174). The financial reward system is therefore useful because the employees provide the services to the company and the latter reciprocates by providing financial benefits. The theory relates to the social identity theory since several people come together in a group and provide efficient services that will enable the company to achieve its objectives. The system justification theory states that people have needs that vary from one person to the other and can be satisfied through the defense of the status quo even in the case where the system may be disadvantages to some people. The financial reward system dictates that a person is paid for the services that he or she provides to the organization in exchange for the financial favors (Chapter 12 page 219). The theory, therefore, shows that the employees will gain from the financial privileges of the organization whereas the latter benefits from the services provided by the employers. The work done justifies the services that the company enjoys and the service rendered justifies the payment that the employees receive. The system justification theory makes the people work harder because they are able to gain financial favors from the services that they have provided (Chapter 12 page 220).
2. b) The theory relates to the social exchange theory because the employee will be providing financial benefits in payment of the services provided. The exchange system will, therefore, satisfy all the stakeholders (Chapter 12 page 214).

Question 2.

1. a) A prototype represents the qualities that certain members in a given group are expected to have. It affects the overall outlook of a given group that has come up with the aim of achieving a given objective in the society. Prototypicality relates to ambiguous organizational membership because it affects the way people belong and relate to the group (Chapter 8 page 140). For instance, the prototype of a group demands that the people have certain qualities and in the case where an individual cannot match the qualities of the others, he or she will be sidelined. The prototype of the group changes as the people new members come in and others leave (Chapter 8 page 138). It reaches a point where the original meaning is lost especially when the leadership is not vigilant leading to the loss of focus. It is therefore important for the leaders to be keen in addressing the way the group should be run. For instance, the commitment among the members could rise or fall as a result of the changes in the individual or the prototype. Commitment among the members is important because it enables the people to work for the benefit of the group. In the case where there is lack of commitment, the people are likely to lazy in such a way that the group may fail to achieve its purpose. The leadership therefore needs to focus on protecting the interests of all the parties in the group (Chapter 8 page 137).

Question 3.

The changes Los Rayos made affected nurses’ attitudes towards their work and the hospital because they have lowered their morale in the workplace. The nurses’ turnover in the leaves the hospital understaffed hence the nurses have to overwork as a way of achieving the objective of providing quality healthcare to the patients. Overworking increases fatigue among the nurses and lowering their morale. The Healthcare institution also cut off some of the privileges that improve the morale of the employees in order to cut costs. The nurses do not have enough time to study and undertake the courses that will enable them to have their licenses renewed. The nurses are therefore demotivated hence they cannot work accordingly. I would, therefore, advise the manager at Los Rayos to focus on motivating the nurses if he or she has to see quality service from the nurses. He or she should provide perks to the nurses and ensure that he or she hires enough staff that will undertake the tasks in the organization. Having more nurses working at the institution will help the nurses to have more time for themselves.

Reference

Hogg, M. A., & Terry, D. J. (2014). Social identity processes in organizational contexts. Psychology Press.