Locus of control, socialization, and organizational identification

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to investigate factors that influence employees' organizational identification. Focusing on the banking industry in Taiwan, this study aims to examine how locus of control and organizational socialization affect employees' organizational identification.

Design/methodology/approach

The author borrows and modifies scales from the literature on locus of control, organizational socialization, and organizational identification to create a questionnaire that was translated into Chinese and distributed to bankers in Taiwan. The author analyzes reliability of the scales and performs regression analysis on hypothesized model relationships.

Findings

Significant positive relationships are found between locus of control and organizational socialization, locus of control and organizational identification, and organizational socialization and organizational identification. Organizational socialization has mediating influences on locus of control and organizational identification.

Research limitations/implications

This research is a starting point in developing theory related to the relationships among locus of control, organizational socialization, and organizational identification. The research is based on data from Taiwan banking employees only and the sample was small (even though results were significant).

Originality/value

The research empirically demonstrates that locus of control influences organizational socialization and identification.

Citation

Lee, H. (2013), "Locus of control, socialization, and organizational identification", Management Decision, Vol. 51 No. 5, pp. 1047-1055. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-11-2012-0814