The paradox of dueling identities : the case of local senior executives in MNC subsidiaries

Authors

Yan ZHANG, Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management, Rice University, United States
Jennifer M. GEORGE, Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management, Department of Psychology, Rice University, United States
Tsang Sing CHAN, Department of Marketing and International Business, Lingnan University, Hong KongFollow

Document Type

Journal article

Source Publication

Journal of Management

Publication Date

6-1-2006

Volume

32

Issue

3

First Page

400

Last Page

425

Keywords

Communication, MNC management, Social identity, Trust, Turnover intentions

Abstract

This study focuses on how employees cope with dueling social identities when one is of relatively low status compared to the other by studying local senior executives in mulinational corporations' (MNC's) subsidiaries who can identify with the local staff and/or headquarters' management. As hypothesized, perceptions of local staff incompetence are positively related to executives' turnover intentions. This relationship becomes weaker if they have high-quality communication with, or high levels of trust in, headquarters' management. Results suggest that employees disidentify with a stigmatized identity group by intending to quit; however, identification with a higher status alternative identity group can mitigate this effect.

DOI

10.1177/0149206305280999

Print ISSN

01492063

Publisher Statement

Copyright © 2006 Southern Management Association. All rights resered. Access to external full text or publisher's version may require subscription.

Full-text Version

Publisher’s Version

Language

English

Recommended Citation

Zhang, Y., George, J. M., & Chan, T.-S. (2006). The paradox of dueling identities: The case of local senior executives in MNC subsidiaries. Journal of Management, 32(3), 400-425. doi: 10.1177/0149206305280999