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Received 25 June 2008 Revised August 2008 Accepted 24 March 2009

Assessing the effects of organizational identication on in-role job performance and learning behaviour
The mediating role of learning goal orientation
Aamir Ali Chughtai and Finian Buckley
Dublin City University, Dublin City University Business School, Dublin, Ireland
Abstract
Purpose The main purpose of this study is to examine the impact of organizational identication on in-role job performance and two learning behaviours, namely, feedback seeking and error communication. Furthermore, this research aims to establish the mediating role of learning goal orientation in the relationship between organizational identication and the three outcome variables. Design/methodology/approach Data for this paper were gathered from 130 high school teachers drawn from six schools operating in Pakistan. Multiple regression analyses were used to test the research hypotheses. Findings The results show that organizational identication has signicant unique effects on in-role job performance and error communication; whereas, it inuences feedback seeking indirectly through learning goal orientation. Additionally, the ndings of this paper reveal that learning goal orientation mediates the effects of organizational identication on the three outcome variables. Research limitations/implications The present paper uses a cross-sectional research design and hence it is not possible to make inferences about causation. Also, the data for this study are collected from a single source, which creates the problem of common method variance. However, in spite of these limitations the results of this study indicate that organizational identication can play a pivotal role in enhancing organizational effectiveness. Originality/value This is the rst study which assesses the impact of organizational identication on learning goal orientation, feedback seeking and error communication. Moreover, it is one of the few studies which has empirically established the link between organizational identication and job performance. Keywords Feedback, Teachers, Schools, Pakistan, Work identity Paper type Research paper

Personnel Review Vol. 39 No. 2, 2010 pp. 242-258 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 0048-3486 DOI 10.1108/00483481011017444

Introduction Organizational identication, which refers to the psychological attachment between an individual and his or her work organization, has captured the attention of organizational theorists and practitioners during the last decade because of the positive effects that it has been shown to have on various work outcomes. For example, research studies have indicated that higher identication leads to enhanced performance, lower absenteeism and turnover rates, more extra-role behaviours, greater job satisfaction, increased motivation and improved health and physical well being (Van Dick et al., 2005). In view of this evidence it is reasonable to expect that

increased identication can play a pivotal role in augmenting organizational efciency and effectiveness. The concept of organizational identication The concept of organizational identication has its roots in the social identity theory. According to the social identity theory, the self-concept of individuals consists of a personal identity that includes distinctive individual characteristics (e.g. temperament, skills), and a social identity that encompasses prominent group classications (e.g. nationality, team afliation) (Tajfel and Turner, 1986). Social identity theory further postulates that individuals tend to classify themselves into different social categories and they ascribe characteristics that are typical of these categories to themselves (Van Knippenberg and Van Schie, 2000, p. 138). Social identication is the perception of belongingness to a group (Mael and Ashforth, 1992). Mael and Ashforth (1992) and Pratt (1998) contend that through social identication individuals feel psychologically intertwined with a groups destiny. The more individuals identify with a specic group the more their attitudes, behaviours and actions tend to be inuenced by the dynamics of this group membership (Tajfel and Turner, 1986). Organizational identication refers to a particular type of social identication in which individuals dene themselves in terms of their organizational membership (Dutton et al., 1994). It is dened as the perception of oneness with or belongingness to the organization (Ashforth and Mael, 1989, p. 22) or the degree to which a member denes him or herself by the same attributes that he or she believes dene the organization (Dutton et al., 1994, p. 239). In other words, organizational identication reects the amalgamation of the self and the concerned organization (Tyler and Balder, 2000). The current study Although organizational identication can lead to widespread benets for both the individuals and the organization, relatively few studies have sought to examine the consequences of this construct (e.g. Dukerich et al., 2002; Riketta, 2005; Riketta and Van Dick, 2005; Carmeli et al., 2007). Therefore, the present study aims to expand the organizational identication literature by examining its effects on three organizational outcomes: self reported in-role job performance and two learning behaviours, namely, feedback seeking and error communication. Although prior studies have explored the relationship between in-role job performance and organizational identication (Riketta, 2005; Carmeli et al., 2007), we are unaware of any published study, which has previously investigated the impact of organizational identication on learning behaviour. Additionally, this study suggests one potential mechanism through which organizational identication can affect our three organizational outcomes. More specically, this paper highlights the role of learning goal orientation, an individual difference variable which reects ones desire to develop competence (Dweck, 1986), as an intervening variable, which links organizational identication to job performance and the two learning behaviours. Thus, the second objective of the current study is to establish if learning goal orientation mediates the effects of organizational identication on the three outcome variables. Finally, another novel feature of the current study is the context and the geographic location in which it is based. More particularly, the present investigation was conducted among Pakistani high school teachers. The relatively small number of studies that have been conducted in the school setting have mostly been based in western societies

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(e.g. Van Dick and Wagner, 2002; Christ et al., 2003). The results from these studies have shown that teachers who strongly identify with their schools are more likely to engage in organizational citizenship behaviour, have lower absenteeism and quit rates, and enjoy better health and well-being (Van Dick and Wagner, 2002). Therefore, the present study provides an opportunity to explore whether or not organizational identication can manifest in positive consequences within the context of a non-western school system. The research model showing the proposed relationships is presented in Figure 1. The remaining portion of our paper is organized as follows. The next section presents theory development and hypotheses. More specically, it examines the relationship between organizational identication and the three outcome variables and provides an examination of how learning goal orientation mediates the effects of organizational identication on employees in-role job performance, feedback seeking behaviour and error communication. In the following section we examine the context of the study and discuss our research methodology. After this, we empirically test our research model and present the results of our analyses. A discussion of the ndings of this study and research implications of the research concludes the paper. Theory development and hypotheses The relationship between organizational identication and in-role job performance In-role job performance refers to those activities which are part of employees formal job description (Borman and Motowidlo, 1997). Surprisingly, the relationship between organizational identication and in-role job performance has received scant empirical attention (Carmeli et al., 2007). The present paper argues that organizational identication is likely to result in enhanced in-role performance. As noted earlier organizational identication is dened as the perception of oneness with or belongingness to the organization (Ashforth and Mael, 1989, p. 22). This psychological oneness with the organization encourages individuals to adopt the organizations viewpoint and to consider the organizations goals and interests as their own (Dutton et al., 1994). As a result people who strongly identify with their organization are likely to put forth more effort on behalf of their organization (Mael and Ashforth, 1995), feel more satised with their jobs (Van Knippenberg and Van Schie, 2000), engage in extra-role behaviours (Van Dick et al., 2006), develop a lower cognition to turnover (Van Dick et al., 2004) and consequently are expected to demonstrate better

Figure 1. Research model

performance (Van Dick et al., 2005). It has been both conceptually (Van Knippenberg, 2000; Van Dick et al., 2005) and empirically (Riketta, 2005; Carmeli et al., 2007) demonstrated that organizational identication can prove to be an important driver of in-role job performance. Thus, we state the following hypothesis: H1. Organizational identication is positively associated with employees in-role job performance. The relationship between organizational identication and learning behaviours Edmondson (1999) denes learning behaviours as an ongoing process of reection and action, characterised by asking questions, seeking feedback, experimenting, reecting on results and discussing errors or unexpected outcomes of actions (p. 353). Facilitating learning behaviours in organizations is important because research evidence indicates that the enactment of such behaviours can have encouraging effects on individual and organizational learning and performance (Edmondson, 1999; Tynan, 2005). The focus of the present paper is on two learning behaviours, namely feedback seeking and error communication. The concept of feedback seeking refers to the conscious devotion of effort toward determining the correctness and adequacy of behaviour for attaining valued end states (Ashford, 1986, p. 466). In their seminal article, Ashford and Cummings (1983) point out that the importance of feedback seeking behaviour emanates from the fact that it can play a crucial role in augmenting job competence and in reducing role ambiguity for the concerned individual. Previous research indicates that feedback-seeking behaviour can enhance both individual (Ashford and Tsui, 1991) and team (Ancona and Caldwell, 1992) performance. Ashford and Cummings (1983) suggest that individuals engage in feedback seeking through two strategies: (1) Feedback seeking through monitoring. (2) Feedback seeking through inquiry. Monitoring behaviours involve attending to and taking in information from the environment (Ashford and Cummings, 1983, p. 382). The second category, feedback seeking through inquiry, occurs when employees directly ask their supervisor or colleagues for information regarding their performance (Williams and Johnson, 2000). Out of the two methods, seeking feedback through inquiry can be more advantageous because information gained from this method is likely to be less vague and more precise (Williams and Johnson, 2000). Hence, in the present study we conceptualize feedback seeking as the frequency of feedback sought through the inquiry method. In a related vein, Edmondson (2004) argues that employees tendency to openly admit and communicate errors and their ability to devise strategies for preventing these errors from recurring in the future can manifest in enhanced organizational learning and efciency. Moreover, Tynan (2005) suggests that teams, in which members regularly point out each others mistakes and pitfalls, discuss and analyse errors constructively and make concerted efforts towards eliminating and correcting mistakes, perform better than teams in which members avoid engaging in these actions. However, in spite of the potential benets of these learning behaviours for both individuals and organizations, enacting such behaviours entails signicant costs for the focal individual. For example, VandeWalle (2003) species three costs associated with feedback seeking behaviour:

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(1) Effort costs which refer to the costs incurred in acquiring the appropriate information. (2) Ego costs which refer to the costs incurred as a result of receiving negative information about the self. (3) Self presentation costs which refer to the risk of divulging ones insecurity and need for assistance to others. Likewise, by admitting mistakes or communicating errors, employees risk receiving negative evaluations from their supervisors and peers which in turn can have deleterious effects on their self esteem (Edmondson, 1999). Thus, it is suggested that employees will only seek feedback or communicate errors if they feel that the perceived benets of engaging in such behaviours outweigh the costs associated with these behaviours. Because identication increases employees motivation to further the interest of the organization, it is speculated that individuals who strongly identify with their organization are more likely to seek feedback and report errors because for these employees the perceived value of these behaviours is likely to be greater than the associated costs. This is because enactment of such behaviours would enable these employees to contribute towards the organizations success. For instance, feedback seeking will enable high identiers to develop their competence and as a result make them better equipped to help the organization attain its goals. Furthermore, by communicating errors employees can enable the organization to take corrective action and thus avoid potential losses. We are unaware of any published study which has assessed the impact of organizational identication on feedback seeking and error communication. Therefore, we propose the following two hypotheses: H2a. Organizational identication is positively associated with feedback seeking behaviour. H2b. Organizational identication is positively associated with error communication. The relationship between organizational identication and learning goal orientation Goal orientation is a motivational construct and refers to an individuals inclination toward different types of goals in achievement situations (Dweck, 1986; Dweck and Leggett, 1988). Dweck (1986) identied two major categories of goal orientation: a learning goal orientation and a performance goal orientation. In the present paper we focus on learning goal orientation. Individuals who are high on learning goal orientation strive to develop themselves by augmenting their skills and know-how (VandeWalle, 1997, 2001). Such individuals view success or failure to be dependent on the level of effort expended. Additionally, these people hold an incremental theory of ability and as a result believe that their skills and abilities can be enhanced through increased effort and perseverance (VandeWalle, 1997, 2001). Furthermore, when the learning goal oriented people encounter task related obstacles, they tend to exhibit an adaptive response pattern, in that they remain resolute, exert greater effort and rework their strategies (VandeWalle, 1997; VandeWalle and Cummings, 1997). Although learning goal orientation is a relatively stable personality characteristic, it can be inuenced by contextual factors (VandeWalle, 2001). VandeWalle (2001), for example, suggests three possible avenues by which organizations can make the

learning goal more salient for the employees. First, through appropriate training programmes organizations can alter the attitudes of employees towards effort expenditure, ability and performance. These programmes can help to cultivate learning orientation by stressing on the point that through greater effort individuals can extend their abilities and consequently improve their performance. Second, rms can motivate the employees to adopt a learning goal orientation by introducing a compensation system, which rewards them for developing their abilities through the acquisition of new skills and knowledge. Finally, supportive leadership behaviours are likely to play a key role in fostering learning orientation among employees. Such behaviours may include: . encouraging employees to set development objectives and pursue developmental opportunities; and . providing constructive feedback for enhancing their skills and capabilities. In the current study it is proposed that organizational identication will inspire the employees to approach their work with a learning goal orientation. Since, high identiers are concerned with the well being of the organization, it is argued that they may be more inclined towards expending their time and energies in acquiring new skills and expertise because this might facilitate them to make a more positive contribution to the growth and development of the organization. Furthermore, research evidence indicates that organizational identication can increase intrinsic motivation (Riketta, 2005). When employees develop an intrinsic interest in their work tasks, their desire to learn new skills is most likely to go up (Amabile, 1997). For example, Sonnentag (2003) in her study showed that intrinsic motivation in the form of work engagement could increase learning motivation of employees. Thus, it is speculated that organizational identication may raise the learning orientation of employees by increasing their intrinsic motivation. To the best of our knowledge this relationship has so far not been examined in any published study. Therefore, we state the following hypothesis: H3. Organizational identication is positively associated with learning goal orientation. Learning goal orientation as a mediating link in the identication organizational outcomes relationship The previous discussion suggests that organizational identication can raise the learning orientation of employees. In turn, it is expected that learning goal orientation might lead to higher in-role job performance and greater motivation to engage in learning behaviours. Employees who are high on learning goal orientation are likely to exert more effort in their work, engage in goal setting tactics, meticulously plan their work, feel efcacious and remain steadfast when they come across task related difculties (VandeWalle, 2001). Because of these characteristics such employees are expected to exhibit superior levels of in-role job performance (Janssen and Van Yperen, 2004). Additionally, VandeWalle and Cummings (1997) found that individuals with a high learning goal orientation tend to perceive greater value in seeking feedback and as a result are liable to seek feedback more regularly because they consider feedback as essential to their goal of increasing their competence. Furthermore, since people with a learning goal orientation are not unduly bothered by mistakes (Sujan et al., 1994) and

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consider errors and failures as part of the learning process, they are more likely to report mistakes to appropriate people so that corrective action can be taken. However, learning goal orientation is not the only mechanism through which organizational identication can affect the three organizational outcomes. For example, Carmeli et al. (2007) in their study showed that organizational identication can inuence performance by facilitating employees adjustment within the organization system. Thus, it is predicted that learning goal orientation will only partially mediate the relationship between organizational identication and the three outcome variables. Thus we propose the following set of hypotheses: H4a. Learning goal orientation is positively associated with employees in-role job performance. H4b. Learning goal orientation is positively associated with feedback seeking behaviour. H4c. Learning goal orientation is positively associated with error communication. H5a. Learning goal orientation will partially mediate the direct relationship between organizational identication and in-role job performance. H5b. Learning goal orientation will partially mediate the direct relationship between organizational identication and feedback seeking behaviour. H5c. Learning goal orientation will partially mediate the direct relationship between organizational identication and error communication. Method The context of the study As the current study is based in the Pakistani educational system, it is relevant to sketch a contextual backdrop for the research (Locke, 2007). Pakistan has a dual education system (International Crisis Group Asia Report, 2004) with the public or government run schools catering for the poorer segments of the society and following the Pakistani education system. The medium of instruction in these schools is predominantly Urdu, which is the native language of Pakistan. In contrast, there are the private elite schools, which cater to the more privileged segments of the society and mostly follow the British O and A-level system through the medium of English. These schools, in general, offer better working conditions, attract better quality students and offer higher salaries and benets to the faculty members than the government run schools. The current study was restricted to six elite private sector schools, which avoided complexity of measurement tool translation and associated problems. The research participants for this study were full-time high school teachers, primarily teaching the O and A-level classes. These faculty members were teaching in a variety of subject areas including English, mathematics, physics and chemistry. The bulk of empirical research on organizational identication has been done in advanced industrial countries like the USA, UK, The Netherlands and Germany. In contrast, only a limited number of studies on identication have been undertaken in third world countries like Pakistan (Gautam et al., 2001). Pakistan is a country which is high on collectivism and power distance (Islam, 2004) and is confronted with massive economic and political challenges. Thus, the current study offers a chance to investigate whether organizational identication will have a signicant bearing on

employees learning and performance in an environment, which is culturally, economically and politically very different from the environment prevalent in western societies. In a related vein, the causes and effects of organizational identication have mainly been explored within the industrial settings and as a result relatively few studies have been conducted within educational organizations. Therefore, the present paper attempts to make a contribution to the literature by exploring the effects of organizational identication in an under researched geographic location and context. Sample and procedure The sample for this paper consisted of 238 full-time high-school teachers teaching in six elite schools located in a large eastern city of Pakistan. Data for this study were collected by administering a paper and pencil questionnaire to all the full-time faculty members in each of the participating schools. An accompanying cover letter, guaranteeing complete condentiality, and the required number of questionnaires were handed over to the relevant administrators for distribution to the faculty members in each school. Participation and involvement in this study was entirely voluntary. Faculty members returned the completed questionnaires in sealed envelopes to the concerned people in their respective schools. The rst author collected these sealed envelopes personally from each school. The entire data collection process took approximately two months. Of the 238 questionnaires that were distributed, 130 questionnaires were completed and returned, thereby yielding a response rate of 54.6 per cent. In total, 77 per cent of the respondents were female. Additionally, 86 per cent of the participants held a Masters degree; whereas, around 14 per cent held an undergraduate qualication. The average age for the sample was 40 years, the average job tenure was eight years. Measurement of variables We borrowed validated scales from the relevant literature to measure all our study variables. All items used a seven-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree) except for feedback seeking behaviour, which sought responses ranging from 1 (never) to 7 (always). Organizational identication Six items adapted from Mael and Ashforth (1992) were used to assess a teachers identication with their school (e.g. When someone criticizes my school, it feels like a personal insult). The coefcient alpha of this sample was 0.80. Learning goal orientation Learning goal orientation was measured by Button et al.s (1996) eight item scale (e.g. The opportunity to do challenging work is important to me). The coefcient alpha of this sample was 0.85. In-role job performance We measured self reported in-role job performance by using Podsakoff and MacKenzies (1989) ve item scale for in-role performance (e.g. I always complete the duties specied in my job description). The coefcient alpha for this scale was 0.74.

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Feedback seeking behaviour In order to measure frequency of feedback sought through inquiry we used the three item scale (e.g. How frequently do you seek feedback from your supervisor about your work performance) developed by Ashford (1986). The coefcient alpha for this scale was 0.74. Error communication Error communication was measured by three items taken from the Error Orientation Questionnaire (e.g. When I make a mistake at work, I tell others about it, so that they do not make the same mistake) developed by Rybowiak et al. (1999). The coefcient alpha for this scale was 0.73. Results Table I shows the means, standard deviations, reliabilities and zero-order correlations of the variables used in this study. This table shows that the reliabilities for all the multi-item scales were generally very good since all alpha values met the criterion of 0.70 proposed by Nunnally and Bernstein (1994). The alpha values ranged from 0.73 to 0.85 for the present sample. We tested our research hypotheses through multiple regression analyses. H1 states that organizational identication positively relates with the self report measure of in-role job performance; whereas, H2a and H2b posit that organizational identication is positively associated with feedback seeking behaviour and error communication respectively. The results shown in Table II reveal that organizational identication is positively and signicantly related to in-role job performance (b 0.31, p , 0.01) and error communication (b 0.36, p , 0.01). However, it was unrelated to feedback seeking behaviour (b 0.06, ns). Therefore H1 and H2b are supported, whereas, H2a is rejected.
Variable Organizational identication Learning goal orientation In-role job performance Feedback seeking behaviour Error communication Mean 6.29 6.64 6.51 4.72 5.91 SD 0.92 0.54 0.66 1.53 1.07 1 (0.80) 0.34 * 0.31 * 0.06 0.36 * 2 (0.85) 0.45 * 0.33 * 0.30 * 3 4 5

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Table I. Descriptive statistics, alpha reliabilities, and correlations among study variables

(0.74) 0.19 * * 0.29 *

(0.74) 0.40 *

(0.73)

Note: n = 130; *correlation is signicant at the 0.01 level; * *correlation is signicant at the 0.05 level. Cronbach alpha reliabilities for observed variables are in parentheses on the diagonal

Table II. Multiple regression analysis examining the relationship between organizational identication and organizational outcomes

Independent variable Organizational identication R2 F-value Note: *p , 0.01

In-role job performance Standardized coefcients 0.31 * 0.10 13.81 *

Feedback seeking Standardized coefcients 0.06 0.004 0.47

Error communication Standardized coefcients 0.36 * 0.13 18.62 *

H3 predicts that there will be a positive relationship between organizational identication and learning goal orientation. Results shown in Table III support this hypothesis (b 0.34, p , 0.01). H4a, H4b and H4c predict that learning goal orientation would be positively and signicantly correlated with all the three organizational outcomes. The results presented in Table IV substantiate these hypotheses. More specically, it was found that learning goal orientation was signicantly related to in-role job performance (b 0.45, p , 0.01), feedback seeking behaviour (b 0.33, p , 0.01) and error communication (b 0.30, p , 0.01). In order to test H5a, H5b and H5c, we followed Baron and Kennys (1986) guidelines to test mediation. Additionally, we also referred to the more recent work in this area by Kenny et al. (1998) and Shrout and Bolger (2002). According to Barron and Kenny (1986) mediation is established if four conditions are satised. First, the independent variable (organizational identication) must be signicantly associated with the proposed mediator (learning goal orientation). Second, the proposed mediator (learning goal orientation) must be signicantly associated with the dependent variable(s) (in-role job performance, feedback seeking and error communication). Third, the independent variable (organizational identication) must be signicantly associated with the dependent variable(s) (in-role job performance, feedback seeking and error communication). Finally, when both the independent variable, and the proposed mediator are included in the regression model, the direct effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable, should reduce signicantly, signifying partial mediation, or it should disappear, signifying full mediation. Interestingly, several scholars (e.g. Kenny et al., 1998; Shrout and Bolger, 2002) in the recent past have argued that in order to establish mediation it is not necessary to establish a link between the independent and dependent variables. These researchers suggest that if the independent variable is signicantly related to the proposed mediator, and the mediator, in turn, is signicantly correlated with the dependent variable, mediation is
Learning goal orientation Standardized coefcients 0.34 * 0.12 17.04 *

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Independent variable Organizational identication R2 F-value Note: *p , 0.01

Table III. Multiple regression analysis examining the relationship between organizational identication and learning goal orientation

Independent variable Learning goal orientation R2 F-value Note: *p , 0.01

In-role job performance Standardized coefcients 0.45 * 0.20 32.53 *

Feedback seeking Standardized coefcients 0.33 * 0.11 15.86 *

Error communication Standardized coefcients 0.30 * 0.09 12.96 *

Table IV. Multiple regression analysis examining the relationship between learning goal orientation and organizational outcomes

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implied. Thus, according to this line of reasoning, the vital conditions for establishing mediation seem to be the rst and second conditions (Kenny et al., 1998). As far as the rst and second conditions are concerned, we have demonstrated that organizational identication is related to learning goal orientation, which, in turn, is signicantly correlated with the three outcome variables (see Tables III and IV). To satisfy the third condition specied by Baron and Kenny (1986), it was necessary to ascertain whether or not organizational identication was signicantly associated with in-role job performance, feedback seeking behaviour, and error communication. The results from Table II show that organizational identication was signicantly related to in-role job performance and error communication but it was unrelated to feedback seeking behaviour. Therefore, according to the criterion specied by Baron and Kenny (1986), it is not possible to establish the mediating role of learning goal orientation in the relationship between organizational identication and feedback seeking behaviour. However, as mentioned previously, the rst and second conditions of mediation, which according to the latest research are considered to be most important for establishing mediation, were fullled. More specically, organizational identication was signicantly related to learning goal orientation (see Table III) and learning goal orientation, in turn, was signicantly associated with feedback seeking behaviour (see Table IV). Taken together, these ndings show that the effect of organizational identication on feedback seeking behaviour was indirectly transmitted through learning goal orientation. Since organizational identication was signicantly correlated with in-role job performance and error communication, the third condition of mediation specied by Baron and Kenny (1986) was met with regards to these variables and, therefore, we proceeded to test the mediation effects of learning goal orientation on these relationships according to the procedure outlined by Baron and Kenny (1986). For this purpose we performed a separate two step hierarchical multiple regression analysis for each outcome variable. In the rst step, we entered organizational identication, whereas in the second step, we entered learning goal orientation. Table V shows the results. When in-role job performance and error communication were regressed on organizational identication, it was found that organizational identication was signicantly and positively related to both the outcome variables. In step two, when
In-role job performance Standardized coefcients 0.31 * 0.10 0.10 13.81 * 0.18 * * 0.39 * 0.23 0.13 22.03 * Error communication Standardized coefcients 0.36 * 0.13 0.13 18.62 * 0.29 * 0.21 * * 0.16 0.03 5.64 * *

Independent variables Step 1 Organizational identication R2 Change in R 2 F-change Step 2 Organizational identication Learning goal orientation R2 Change in R 2 F-change Notes: *p , 0.01; * *p , 0.05

Table V. Hierarchical regression examining the mediating effects of learning goal orientation on the organizational identication organizational outcomes relationship

learning goal orientation was incorporated into the models, the magnitude of the beta coefcient for organizational identication declined from b 0.31 ( p , 0.01) in the rst step to b 0.18 ( p , 0.05) in the second step for in-role job performance and from b 0.36 ( p , 0.01) to b 0.29 ( p , 0.01) for error communication. In addition, even though the effect of organizational identication was reduced, learning goal orientation as an intervening variable was positively and signicantly associated with both the outcome variables. In short, these results indicate that learning goal orientation partially mediated the effects of organizational identication on in-role job performance and error communication. Finally, in order to further validate our mediation results, we also tested our hypotheses by performing the Sobel test (Sobel, 1982). The ndings from these analyses conrmed that learning goal orientation mediated the effects of organizational identication on all the three outcome variables, namely, in-role job performance (Z 3.09, p , 0.01), feedback seeking behaviour (Z 2.85, p , 0.01) and error communication (Z 2.05, p , 0.05). In sum, these ndings corroborate H5a, H5b and H5c. Discussion The ndings of this paper reafrm organizational identication as a key driver of organizational effectiveness. Additionally, this study extends the growing identication literature by providing a rst examination of the relationship between organizational identication and three outcome variables, namely, learning goal orientation, feedback seeking behaviour and error communication. Moreover, it is only among a handful of studies, which have empirically established the link between organizational identication and in-role job performance (Riketta, 2005; Carmeli et al., 2007). The results of this study reveal that organizational identication had signicant unique effects on in-role job performance and error communication, whereas it indirectly affected feedback seeking behaviour through learning goal orientation. The ndings of this paper conrm the perception that employees who strongly identify with a particular organization tend to exert extra effort on its behalf, and as a result are likely to exhibit relatively higher levels of performance. Furthermore, the motivation to further the interests of the organization leads high identiers to lay more emphasis on the value of feedback seeking and communicating errors. This, in turn, appears to spur them to engage in these learning behaviours. This study also contributes to the literature by illuminating the role of learning goal orientation as a potential link between organizational identication and our three organizational outcomes. The results of this study show that learning goal orientation mediated the effects of organizational identication on in-role job performance and the two learning behaviours, that is, feedback seeking and error communication. This implies that organizational identication can affect the three outcome variables by making the learning goal more salient for the employees. Finally, although previous studies undertaken in the western countries provide ample evidence that stronger organizational identication can manifest in positive outcomes for educational organizations (e.g. Van Dick and Wagner, 2002; Christ et al., 2003); this paper further expands these ndings by showing that organizational identication can also yield positive benets within the unique environment of the Pakistani education system. In sum, the results of this study prove that higher levels of organizational identication can be advantageous for most organizations irrespective of cultural and geographical boundaries.

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Managerial implications The ndings of this study can have important implications for organizations. The results of the current paper indicate that organizational identication can lead to improved performance, enhanced learning orientation and a greater tendency to engage in learning behaviours. Moreover, previous research has linked organizational identication to increased job satisfaction, more organizational citizenship behaviours, a lower cognition to turnover, and better health and well being (Van Dick et al., 2005). These ndings lend support to the notion that nurturing identication can be crucial for the success of the organizations. Organizational identication can be strengthened, by using several different strategies. Van Knippenberg (2003), for example, argued that: organizational identication could be enhanced by highlighting the mutual goals, mission, and distinct culture of the organization. By doing so, the organizational leaders can facilitate the employees to discover the prominent features that differentiate their organization from others (Dutton et al., 1994) and thus increase social categorization. In these circumstances the organization might become more salient and transparent as an object with which to identify (Smidts et al., 2001). Benchmarking is another approach that can be utilized to boost employees identication (Hogg and Terry, 2000). Van Dick et al. (2004) suggest that if high performing rival companies are chosen for benchmarking comparisons, it would challenge the organizations prestige and reputation, and as a result can augment salience and, consequently, identication with the organization. Finally, recent research has provided empirical evidence that perceptions of organizational justice can play a vital role in fostering organizational identication (Olkkonen and Lipponen, 2006; Cheung and Law, 2008). Through the use of appropriate training methods organizations can train the organizational leaders to behave in a more fair, impartial and respectful manner towards their subordinates. Such training efforts might increase the ability of leaders and managers to enact fair procedures and policies and as a result may contribute towards strengthening organizational identication. Limitations, future research and conclusion Although the ndings of the current study are useful, it is limited by several factors. First, the research design for this study was cross-sectional and as a result it rules out the possibility of drawing inferences about causality. Longitudinal studies examining the relationship between the variables used in this paper are likely to prove more useful in determining causal links. Second, the respondents in this study were drawn from six elite schools operating in Pakistan. The background and characteristics of these employees may, therefore, limit the generalizability of our ndings to other work settings. Future research should, therefore, aim to examine the relationships among these variables in different work environments and in different countries to further validate the ndings of this paper. Another limitation of this study pertains to the feedback-seeking variable. In the current paper we examined feedback seeking as a frequency based phenomenon (i.e. how frequently individuals ask for feedback through the inquiry method). However, VandeWalle (2003) argues that feedback seeking is a multidimensional construct and has, therefore, highlighted the need for empirical studies that deal with not only feedback frequency but also with other dimensions of this construct such as type,

source, method, timing and sign of preference. Thus, future studies can analyse the impact of organizational identication on these dimensions of feedback seeking. Furthermore, the present study exclusively used the quantitative approach to analyse the consequences of organizational identication. However, future research can further enrich this study by using qualitative techniques, such as in-depth interviews to complement the quantitative approach. Qualitative techniques, such as in-depth interviews might provide deeper insights into some of the issues, which cannot be ascertained through purely quantitative methods. For instance, in the current study it was found that organizational identication did not have a direct effect on feedback seeking. In-depth interviews with faculty members, for example, might help to uncover some of the reasons due to which this relationship did not materialise. The nal limitation of the study relates to using one source of data collection, which can produce the potential problem of common-method variance (Podsakoff et al., 2003). One major concern in such cases is that common method variance may inate relationships between the study variables (Podsakoff et al., 2003). In order to overcome this problem, it is recommended that future studies in this area should strive to collect data from more than one source such as obtaining performance data from employees supervisors. However, in spite of these limitations, the results of this study provide ample evidence, which seems to suggest that higher organizational identication can prove to be an important source of competitive advantage for organizations even in non-western societies like Pakistan. It is, therefore, hoped that the ndings of this study would inspire organizational leaders to invest in conditions that augment employees identication with the organization.
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