Aspects of Identity Predict Engagement in Work Under Adverse Conditions

Abstract

This study examined whether aspects of identity relevant to an occupational domain predict increased engagement in work when the conditions of work are unclear or ambiguous, whereas possessing an aspect of identity unrelated to one's occupational domain would not be associated with increased engagement. Members of an elite army unit (U.S. Army Rangers) who scored high on "warriorism" (a belief in the necessity and inevitability of war) evidenced high levels of engagement in their job even when they reported that the guidelines for their job were unclear and their work was not relevant to their training. Those scoring low on warriorism were more likely to evidence decreased engagement under these adverse conditions. In contrast, identifying with the role of "peacekeeper," an aspect of identity not associated (or perhaps negatively associated) with the Rangers' occupational domain, was associated with a larger decrease in engagement when job guidelines were unclear. Results are discussed in terms of aspects of identity relevant to a performance domain protecting motivation under less-than-optimal work conditions.