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Tales from the Fields: Sources of Employee Identification in Agribusiness

University of Northern Iowa

Cassandra M. Reynolds

Department of Communication Studies at the University of Northern Iowa

Talia J. Nelson

University of Northern Iowa

Angela R. Johanningmeier

University of Northern Iowa

Michael Griffin

Department of Communication Studies at the University of Northern Iowa

Paulina Andrade

University of Northern Iowa

This grounded, interpretive study of an agricultural company contributes to the understanding of organizational identification by considering the various sources employees draw on and direct toward in forming relationships with their organizations. The conceptualization of identification "sources" supplants the identification terms targets and resources that are commonly used in identification literature, to address the less conscious and more emotional, integrative, self-referential facets of the identification process. Through written accounts, employees revealed multiple sources of identification, grounded in aspects both external and internal to the organization. An identity shift was also located in the narratives as some employees struggled with the tension between farming/family values and corporate philosophies embedded in the term agribusiness. A model demonstrating the role of sources in the identification process is proposed as a theoretical addition to organizational identification research. Practical implications and future directions are also discussed.

Key Words: organizational identification • employee identification • identification sources

Management Communication Quarterly, Vol. 17, No. 3, 360-395 (2004)
DOI: 10.1177/0893318903258169


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