Employee Identity Management Model in Public Organizations: A Mixed Method Study

Nowadays, human resources are a vital asset for the organization. The sense of identity of human capital with the organization creates numerous added values for the organization. Accordingly, in this study, the model of employee identity management in public organizations using a mixed approach has been addressed.

This research is exploratory in terms of purpose and applied research regarding type of use.  Moreover, an exploratory mixed method was used in this study. In the qualitative part, the grounded theory was employed, and in the quantitative part, the descriptive-survey research method was utilized. In the qualitative section, the required data were collected using non-probable snowball sampling as well as semi-structured interview with 20 experts in human resources. In the quantitative section, the data were collected by cluster sampling among municipal employees of Kermanshah, Iran.

Based on data analysis, causal category includes organizational, managerial, and individual factors. Central category consists of membership, similarity, loyalty, and compatibility. Intervening category contains economic factors, political factors, organizational aspect, external relations. Contextual category includes organizational support, working groups, organizational culture, organizational strategy, and characteristics of the organization. Strategies comprises the development of organizational self-esteem, development of organizational intimacy, development of organizational vitality, and increasing legitimacy. And finally, the consequences include social, functional, behavioral, and attitudinal factors. Based on quantitative data analysis, the fit of the research model was confirmed.

Optimal implementation of employee identification strategies can improve employee retention in the organization. Managers can improve the recruitment rate of new employees by promoting identification.