Work context and the definition of self: How organizational care influences organization-based self-esteem

Abstract

We investigated how work context leads to employee self-definition. We propose that the employees of organizations whose values and organizing principles center on fulfilling employees' needs and acting in their best interests will report higher levels of organization-based self-esteem. Further, we argue that perceptions of organizational fairness and job authority mediate this relationship through the social-psychological process of reflected appraisal. Results based on analyses of data from a sample of 186 managers and professionals from 69 different organizational settings support our model.