Intergroup relational identity: Development and validation of a scale and construct

Abstract

In their theory of intergroup leadership, Hogg, van Knippenberg, and Rast proposed the novel concept of intergroup relational identity. An intergroup relational identity (IRI) refers to a form of social identity that is defined in terms of the cooperative and mutually promotive relationship between subgroups. This article outlines the development of a five-item scale to measure IRI. We conducted five studies with over 1,700 participants from different countries. The unidimensional factor structure of the five-item scale replicated across studies, and the latter three studies provided evidence of construct (convergent and discriminant) and criterion-related validity. Intergroup relations are often overlooked in organizational behavior and management research. However, our results support the idea that IRI affects intergroup or inter-team cooperation and collaboration, as well as leadership effectiveness—enhanced perceptions of an IRI is a promising way to reduce conflict between subgroups within a larger collective. To date, no measure of IRI has been published. These studies present the first empirical test of and support for the newly developed IRI measure, and provide evidence demonstrating the benefit of promoting an IRI for both leadership and intergroup relations more broadly.