Dispositional Group Loyalty and Individual Action for the Benefit of an Ingroup: Experimental and Correlational Evidence

Abstract

Much of individuals′ lives are spent working in groups, but not all individuals necessarily react to groups in the same way. Based upon previous research, we examined the construct of dispositional group loyalty as a predictor of willingness to contribute to organizational success. Individuals high in dispositional group loyalty were thought to be more likely to exert effort on behalf of their ingroups than individuals low in dispositional group loyalty. Furthermore, this effect should only be manifested in certain situations. In particular, individuals with high group loyalty should perform better when their group is being compared to another than when intergroup comparison is lacking. Three experimental studies were done to test this possibility. In each case, the prediction outlined above was supported. A fourth correlational study provided evidence from outside of the laboratory that dispositional group loyalty predicts involvement in group-based organizational activities, positiveness of attitudes toward organizations, and inclination to perform behaviors for the benefit of one′s organization. Theoretical and applied implications are discussed.