Social Identity Theory - Research Paper Example

Social identity theory    ‘Social Identity Theory was developed by Tajfel and Turner in 1979. … Apart from the “level of self”, an individual has multiple “social identities”. Social identity is the individual’s self-concept derived from perceived membership of social groups (Hogg & Vaughan, 2002). In other words, it is an individual-based perception of what defines the “us” associated with any internalized group membership.’ (University of Twente, 2004)  The quest for positive distinctiveness is reflected in the self esteem perceived by an individual in an association with the group.  There is impact of this theory on social psychology, consequently on favoritism, prejudice and style of dealing in social landscape.  The costumes one use, the clubs to which one is member, the hotels where one stays reflects the status of the person in the society.  These attributes are perceived to denote one’s tastes and preferences and the level of sophistication in life.  It is in this angle which is relevant to the study is analyzed now. ‘One of the concepts behind social identity theory is categorization, the idea that humans all categorize each other, sometimes subconsciously, creating a set of natural groups.’  (Smith, S.E., 2003)   These categorizations play an important role identity of a person and group affiliations.  Therefore, in order to develop this identity, people consciously behave in a particular fashion to enhance their status in the society.  The hotel industry is related to and associated with the status in the society.  Therefore, in this study, the social identity theory is discussed with reference to hotel industry for a better understanding of its implications. The outlook, public relations, customer relationship management, etc. of the hotel industry is geared up to satisfy the existing customers and attract the new customers, and maintain long term relationship with them in this respect.  The level of service and satisfaction as perceived by the customers is very important in this regard.  Status  Identification of the people with reference to their social status is associated with the groups, to which they belong.   The phrase ‘Five Star Culture’ is a familiar one, we often hear in elite clubs and restricted social functions.  In a closely knitted group, bias in attitude towards the external elements would be palpable. The people are identity conscious which is dictated by their way of living and perceived sophistications.  The undercurrent of the social movements hinges on bias based on geography, color and religion with the underlying sociological aspects.  The customs and culture play an important role in distinguishing the groups.   Utility value   There is utility value in social identity theory for an individual who is a constituent of the group, the group and the society.  The business, industry and politics are all, to some extent, involved or benefited by this theory.  A simple logic behind the concept is ‘unity is strength’.  The group also acts as a deterrent to people under many circumstances.  It should be noted that the permutations and combinations in a group is endless, and in a positive sense means pooling of experience, expertise, knowledge, resources, etc.  An individual is motivated to enjoy the benefits of membership at a cost that is acceptable and affordable to him   Organizational membership It is strongly believed that the membership to certain groups establish the identity by categorization. Organizational membership creates a very important social identity for many individuals.  Mere membership to a group influences one’s credentials by an assumption in the society, with reference to the background and status of the club, meaning a group or organization of the people.  ‘Organizational identification is thus a specific form of social identification where we refer to the self in terms of our organizational membership (Ashforth & Mael, 1989)’ (Scott, Craig R., 2007)  Profile of the membership Members derive strength from the group and vice versa. Since the psychological distinctiveness is the underlying factor, the people compare themselves with the other people within the group and outside the group.  The existing customer profile of a club dictates the quality or status of the entry of new members since the people want to have favorable comparisons with the others, that is, want to be known as ‘rubbing shoulders with x or y’. Social Identity theory and Identity theory An individual is different from the group, though he is forming part of the group or heading the group. A person has his own taste, opinion, preference and prejudice. When a person is in a group, his individuality is merged with the group. In fact his individual taste, opinion, etc. is shaped up by the group, and the collective wisdom prevails. Therefore, a group acts as a deterrent in individual’s actions, and it is usually for better results for the individuals as well as the group. “…We see substantial similarities and overlap between social identity theory and identity theory. We think that this overlap ultimately will cause these theories to be linked in fundamental ways … In social identity theory and identity theory the self is reflexive, classify, or names itself in particular ways in relation to other social categories or classifications. This process is called self-categorization in social identity theory (Turner, Hogg, Oakes, Reicher and Wetherell 1987); in identity theory it is called identification (McCall and Summons 1978). Through the process of self-categorization or identification, an identity is formed.” (Stets, J. E. and Burke, P.J. 2000) It should be understood, for example, the emotional values of a person may be respected by a group, but not acted upon. However, cliques within the group can exert more influence on account of their economic power, social position, and so on. But, for all the actions undertaken in the name of the society, the society becomes responsible and not the members. Therefore, in the democratic institutions, the group acts as a shield to cover up the deeds or misdeeds, as the case may be, of such members or cliques, as it is always easier to sway the decisions in favor of an individual or a group within a group by these persons or cliques. Important Factors in Social Identity Theory Due to cultural developments over a period of time, globalization, developments in science and technology, especially information technology after the advent of mobile phones and social networks such as twitter and facebook, the ignorance of the people throughout the world in respect of customs and traditions of the various religions, societies and communities has been dispelled to a greater extent.  The formation of the groups is now cutting across the borders.  Nevertheless, social identity factor gains importance, and encompasses all the developments that are continuously taking place in the world and percolated down to the countries, communities and groups. Religion The culture is different in the case of the Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, etc. on religious basis.  The proper understanding of the groups in this respect is easier, especially for the professionals in the hospitality sector. People carry dogs along with them to social functions is common in western countries.  Consider a situation where a function is organized by a person belongs to Muslim community, where dogs are not part of the domestic environment.   Here the act of carrying a dog to the function might be considered as an insult, or at the best, the guest is considered insensitive. For example pork detested by Muslims is acceptable to other religions.  The Hindus treat the cow as God.  Therefore, they don’t consume beef.   Imagine a situation where food is served on the same table for an Indian and German according to their choices, say chicken and beef.  This incident may lead to customer dissatisfaction, which is the most relevant factor to the hotel in doing its business, more than anything else. Sensitivity Though the entire world is used to spoons and forks in dining table, it is not common in the dining tables of the Asian household.  Taking bath daily is must in many Asian countries on account of the climate conditions, though it is not considered absolutely necessary on daily basis, in some western countries.  The list is endless with tangibles like food, costumes, liquor, etc. and intangibles like customs, manners, culture, etc.  Knowledge of the people, their customs, behavior and culture in advance will be useful when the actual interaction with the group takes place.  Because, a misunderstanding tolerated by an individual, would not be taken kindly and appreciated by the group, since the mass psychology is different.  It is odd, if a dignitary who attends a seminar on animal welfare is in a dress made of animal skin (leather). An intelligent organizer would have the tact to provide the dignitary with the dress suitable for the occasion explaining the reason.  Actually, the theme of our study revolves around this concept, and appreciates the ‘satisfaction factor’ of the customers. Many a times, an element of ‘insensitivity’ on the part of a person or participant spoils the whole atmosphere which affects all in the process.    A person acquires certain traits from the environment where he was brought up.  The hospitality industry to be successful should be in a position to appreciate these subtle or glaring differences in the human behavior and minimize its negative impacts in the business activities.  The people in the industry need training to recognize these variations in customs, behavior and culture.  There is no question of good or bad in the cultural issues.  It is accepted prima facie, and the conflicting situations are carefully avoided with tact and understanding.  Evolution of Culture The culture of a community is evolved over a period of time.  The food, costumes, for that matter shelter, etc varies according the climate conditions of the place where the community lives and blended into their culture.  A person needs to cover the whole body from tip to toe with woolen clothes in European countries.  But, in tropical countries this is not necessary.  Similarly eating habits of the people is dictated by the type of fruits, grains, meat, liquor, etc. available locally.     What is accepted as the best practice in one part of the world may not be applicable to other communities living in various other parts of the world. Ignorance leads to intolerance and animosity.  Some people understand the background and appreciate the value of the alien culture in this regard.       Discrimination and Social Identity Social identity is nothing to do with discrimination based on caste, creed or color.  The homogenous nature prevailed in the group with reference to its background, customs and culture is recognized in the proper perspective to enhance the human relationship.    Cosmopolitan culture Understanding the cultural significance is important in a cosmopolitan culture, where different groups of people interact in the social, business and political environment.  Frictions on account of misunderstanding between the different groups should be avoided for the balanced growth and development of the society as a whole.   Peaceful co-existence of all the groups is achieved in the process.  Common Minimum Program In order to achieve the objective, common minimum standards accepted to all the groups in terms of basic human values and law of the country should be worked out which would act as a guide post. Usually violation of these principles on whatever circumstances leads to conflicts in the business or society.  In a coalition government various parties form a government, based on the common objectives that are not inconsistent with the objectives of the individual parties, though the individual parties realize that all the programs and policies of their own parties could not be implemented, considering the mandate given by the people.   This is called the common minimum program of the coalition government which is accepted by all the constituents.  Therefore, once this concept is well understood, it becomes easy for all to make adjustments with the various groups in the normal dealings based on the needs, priorities, sentiments and practical considerations.  Social Identity Theory in Politics In the Asian African countries, the society is divided in to a number of social groups in terms of communities, clans, castes, languages and so on. These groups, consequently the leaders of the group are in a position to exert great pressure in the social structure. The political environments in these countries are fractured to the extent, even small and compact groups are able to dictate terms even to the governments. On account of democracy, in these cases the number games assume significance, because majority is the common denominator in the policies of the governments, and a party with few members of parliaments or members of legislative assemblies may hold the key to majority. Therefore, the leaders of these parties enjoy greater leverage in the society. These parties in turn keep the people under control by using various techniques to establish unity among the members of the group. For example, in India there are numerous languages spoken by the people. Though the principal and official languages of India are English and Hindi, there are several hundred languages spoken by the Indian people. According to Census of India of 2001, 29 languages are spoken by more than a million native speakers, and there are 1652 Mother tongues spoken. (Mallikarjun, B. 2002). There are several political parties functioning on the lines of languages or on the lines of communities within the same language speaking people in various states of the countries. Even within the national parties such as Indian National Congress or Bharatiya Janata Party, Communist Parties etc. the influence of the local leaders on communal and caste lines exists. There have been linguistic conflicts in India on account of reservations in government jobs and admissions to educational institutions. Especially, conflicts in Tamilnadu in 1965. (Guha, R. 2005) on account of official language issue resulted in change of government in the State. Similarly the various ethnic groups in African continent have their own language and culture. We can see a mindboggling list of ethnic groups in various countries in Wikipedia, which indicates the extent to which the continent and the constituent countries are fractured on account of communities. Social identity is a common issue in a society which results into conflicts many a times, but rarely cooperation among the various groups. Democracy becomes a casualty or very fragile when each group tries to establish its supremacy in the social structure. Social Identity Theory and corruption Social identity derived by the position to which one ascends in the society is misused for exploitation. Corruption by the individuals, especially high government officials, in Asian and African countries is a major threat to the welfare of the society. The Indian Premier League (cricket) has landed into a great mess recently and the Economic times observed “This fiasco underscores the point that wherever there is money, competition or power involved, corruption is a constant threat. In this case all the three ingredients were present enough to force the minister to quit office...” says Anupama Jha, executive director of Transparency International India, an international civil society watchdog. (Sharma, S.N. and Sharma, R.T., 2010) Recently the bidding for two new franchises cost the job of Shashi Tharoor, a junior foreign minister and the Chairmanship of Lalit Modi is placed in a precarious position. There is a self protecting mechanism for corruption in these countries. There is a nexus between the politicians and high government officials who comes to rescue for each other, especially when they belong to the same group or community. The legal landscape of the country enables them to escape from justice through various loopholes available in the system. Social Identity Theory in Hotel Industry  The hotel where one stays reflects the status of the person in the society, be it industrialist, business man or a politician.  This status consciousness of the people has a basis on account of its utility in their business and dealing with the various groups of the society.  If the management principles such as Customer Relationship Management, Value Management, etc. are synchronized with the Social Identity Theory in their applications, the results would be phenomenal in the hotel industry. Customers’ behaviors and their decisions with regard to the relationship are the important aspects for any business, and especially so, in the case of hospitality sector where social identity plays an important role. ‘So, when employees perceive that they are rewarded for delivering quality service and when employees perceive that management devotes time, energy, and resources to service quality and when employees receive the training they require to effectively deal with diverse customers, then a positive service climate is more likely to be the theme or meaning attached to these experiences. (p. 100)’ (Goliath Business Knowledge on demand, 2007). David., S. emphasizes, ‘‘service climate and employee identification as vital considerations for turnaround success in the hospitality industry’ (David, S., 2006) Word of mouth In a compact group consisting of the elites, exchange of information or ideas mostly happens through the word of mouth. Informal relationships within the group, their opinions and attitudes could be influenced for the long term relationship, consequentially, long term growth and development of the business.  McConnell B and Huba J lament, ‘Marketing in 2002 is based on 1960’s principles.  What’s taught in a college marketing class?  The four Ps: Product, Place, Price and Promotion. .. Most college marketing textbooks cover very little, if anything, about word-of-mouth and customer evangelism.’ (2003, p6) Favoritism and prejudices among the group arises out of so many factors.  However, it is enough here to say with reference to the discussion that members of a group are favorably disposed towards a particular hotel, club, business associations, etc.  It is important for the service provider to recognize such factors for the benefit of the business.  This is achieved mainly by personal relationship with the important members of the power centers of the groups, who are favorably disposed towards the organization.         Social Identity Theory as a factor in management techniques Human beings crave for attention, in the family, office and social gatherings.  Plainly speaking, satisfaction of the ego of the clients by way of courtesy and attention plays an important role in the hospitality industry, especially in hotel industry.   Failure is turned into an opportunity in service recovery.  SIT is involved in the process, when courtesy and attention is combined with service.  Loyalty of the customer is secured for the long term growth and development of the enterprise.  Patience, tact and the implied assurance on the part of the service provider that the customer’s comfort and convenience is of paramount importance, during the critical times of service failure, send strong signals to the customers as to the trust, dependability and sincerity of the enterprises. It is interesting to note here the even Service recovery in the hotel industry is viewed with the social identity theory for the obvious reasons.  The guests would like to maintain their dignity and identity and the service failure is an important impediment in the process.  The efficient resolution of the failure is important.  Otherwise, the service failure would lead to dissatisfaction of the customers.  The negative aspects of the service, rather than the positive aspects would have more news value in the informal circles within the group to which the customer is a member.  Therefore, any service failure on the part of the hotel, unless it is successfully resolved to the satisfaction of the guest is a potential threat to the continuous patronage by the customers, consequently the group over a period of time.      “Service recovery refers to steps that are intended to identify and correct service failures or quality problems” (Simons, 2004, p. 13) Does confrontation result into love and loyalty? The theory is not far-fetched.  It is practical in a sense, that a customer understands well about the service provider and it gives him an opportunity to appreciate the nuances involved in the service.  The frustration in the first instance gives way to understanding and eventually goodwill.  Customer becomes a complainant and then a friend in this process. This has long term implications since an important guest could be a link to many guests through his business, official and social connections. The service recovery process effectively handled, would go a long way in nourishing and nurturing the relationship. 7 Steps process, a technique based on Social Identity Theory Friedman, N. lists out seven steps to service recovery (2003):   1. Accept 100% responsibility 2. "I'm sorry" does work 3. Empathize immediately (ex. What an unfortunate situation) 4. Immediate action 5. Ask what would make them happy (if the client is difficult) 6. Understand the true meaning of service recovery (solve it once for all) 7. Follow Up (golden rule for ensuring achievement) These steps are the basic requirements in SIT which satisfies people in general, even during the worse or critical times. It is interesting to note that the Communication Strategy Consultants also recommended the same seven steps of Friedman. N. in their article Winning Steps to Service Recovery with due credits which emphasizes the importance of these steps in service recovery.  Arguments breed arguments.  Amicable solutions are rarely arrived at during arguments.  In hotel industry, and for that matter in any service industry, customer is the ‘King’.  Diplomacy in dealing with the guests is the basic criterion for success and development.  In fact good long term relationship in itself avoids unpleasant consequences on account of service failures.  Therefore, development of relationship should also be viewed from this angle. Considering the importance of the guest, depending upon the length of the stay of the guest usually in hotels, it is always better to provide alternative arrangement at the earliest, if the service recovery is not going to be useful and fast.  Guests who frequently visit, stay longer and use other facilities of the hotel such as auditorium, holiday club, meeting halls, etc. should be handled with the utmost courtesy during such critical times, as the relationship may have impacts within the group he belongs. Alternative best arrangements within a short notice would impress the guest and the ratings of the hotel in the minds of the guests and consequently the group.    Expectations of the customers Expectations of the customers vary from group to group.  Identifying the needs of various groups, in relation their background and customs gives a clear signal to the customers that they are recognized and respected for what they are.  The first and foremost criterion is whether the guest is considered as a valued customer by the service provider.  Finally, it is the quality of the service.  Therefore, any deficiencies in respect of these factors will in fact infuriate the customer beyond the reasonable level.  The guests would vent their frustrations which were hither to under control, if they were dissatisfied already. The primary goals could be achieved only with the service.  It is important to note that the guests are status conscious with a respectable social identity.  Their association with the hotel is guided by the quality and the level of service, and hence deterioration in quality and service could not be made up by any other strategy.  Also, failure of the service once experienced will be remembered by the guest for a long time.  Therefore, recurrence of the failure won’t be tolerated, and winning back the customer loyalty would be very difficult, unless the circumstances are extraordinary.    Limitations With Social Identity Theory in the background, it is wrong to assume that the service failure offer an opportunity to establish continued relationship and loyalty.  It should be clearly understood that service failures do occur even in a well maintained hotels due to so many internal or external reasons.  There is no point in anticipating failures to take action thereafter.  Growth and development hinges on foreseeing the critical areas and take preventive measures and keep alternative arrangements in place in the event of a failure.  In fact provision of alternative arrangement without loss of time and without compromising on quality level of the service make a good impression on the minds of the customers, and enhance the dependability of the service in the hotel.  The customer appreciates the resourcefulness of the service provider and their ability to protect the interests of the customers.   The customer appreciates the service provider for the importance given in resolving the issue on ‘Priority Basis!’  However, risk reward ratio in the event of service failure is not favorable since the risk is very high in terms of loss of business, compared to the appreciation of service recovery by the guest and its future results Conclusion     People may be classified into various categories. People consciously behave in a particular fashion to identify themselves with a group. There are certain motivations in this respect for identifying themselves with a particular group. Social Identity theory ‘Social Identity Theory (SIT) can restore some coherence to organizational identification, and it can suggest fruitful applications to organizational behavior.’ (Ashforth, B.E., Mael, F. p20, 1989). Social categorization is one of the important aspects of the theory. However, the polarization effect in the theory stresses the interdependence within the group. Therefore the maximization of the economic benefit to the individuals, consequently to the group is the central theme and positive aspect of the theory. Social Identification Theory would be useful in hospitality sector, especially hotel industries where its application in conjunction with the other management principles and techniques would yield good results, .    References Ashforth, B.E., Mael, F. 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