Social Categorization Theory Analysis

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Recommended: Impact of diversity on work force

2.4 Reviews of Relevant Theories
In this section, this study focuses on the following theories: social categorization theory, social identity theory and similarity-attraction theory and person-organization (P-O) values fit model to provide a better understating of workforce diversity and employees commitment.
2.4 Social Categorization Theory
Social categorization theory developed by Turner (1978) describes the categorization of people based on salient attributes like gender, ethnicity or age, resulting in stereotyping on the basis of these differences. Social categorization theory posits that similarities and dissimilarities of demographic can lead formation of different group with resulting effects on member of in-group favourably themselves …show more content…

The theory is concerned with the existence of multiple identities, the variability of the degree to which people identify with a social group and the role of the social context in social identification (Van Dick, van Knippenberg, Hägele, Guillaume, & Brodbeck, 2008). This theory indicated group members are motivated to maintain their social identities when they evaluate and discovered favorable similar characteristics. The quests for positive distinctiveness make social identity theory to propose that Individuals tend to develop a lot of identities as they move through the stages of their lives (Cennamo & Gardner, 2008). Individuals tend to define themselves in terms of their gender, religion, ethnicity, age, background or profession and “put on” different identities in different circumstances (Sim, etael, 2014). In line with this thinking, Ogbo, Kifordu and Wilfred (2014) observe that in Nigeria, by virtue of its complex web of politically salient identities and history of chronic and seemingly intractable conflicts and instability, competing groups tend to adopt exclusionary, winner-take-all strategies ,with persons having crisscrossing and recursive identities of which the ethnic, religious, regional and sub-ethnic (communal) appear to be the most salient. Thus, members of a group can decide to identify themselves as ‘religious’ rather than ‘ethnic’, as individuals and groups may do from time to time, depending on the level and scope of conflict or uncertainty. Strong group identification can predict whether discriminatory behaviour will or will not occur within a work setting particularly with regard to diversity. Edewor and Aluko (2007) opined that ethno-linguistic and regional identities remain strong in Nigeria as private sector bureaucracies

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