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The challenge of leading on unstable ground: Triggers that activate social identity faultlines

Center for Organizational Leadership at the University of Cincinnati, donna.chrobot-mason{at}uc.edu

Marian N. Ruderman

Center for Creative Leadership, ruderman{at}ccl.org

Todd J. Weber

Leadership Institute at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, todd.weber{at}gmail.com

Chris Ernst

Center for Creative Leadership, ernstc{at}ccl.org

Today’s leaders face unprecedented challenges in attempting to manage interactions between social identity group members with a history of tension in society at large. Research on faultlines suggests that social identity groups often polarize in response to events that make social identity salient, resulting in negative work outcomes. The current research extends the faultlines literature by examining precipitating events (triggers) that activate a faultline. Qualitative interview data were collected from two samples of employees working in multiple countries to identify events that had resulted in social identity conflicts. In the first study (35 events), an exploratory approach yielded a typology of five types of triggers: differential treatment, different values, assimilation, insult or humiliating action, and simple contact. A second qualitative study (99 events) involved a more geographically varied sample. Research findings are discussed in terms of implications for the faultlines literature and for practicing leaders.

Key Words: conflict • diversity • intergroup • leadership • management • organizational psychology

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This version was published on November 1, 2009

Human Relations, Vol. 62, No. 11, 1763-1794 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0018726709346376


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This Article Abstract Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Chrobot-Mason, D. Articles by Ernst, C. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?