Surmounting Problems of Affective Attachment and Commitment in Nested Group Structures

Abstract

That groups exist in nested configurations—for example, departments within colleges within universities, or teams within divisions within organizations-is an intrinsic feature of social life. Previous research indicates that the emotions and attributions individuals experience within more local, immediate groups can lead to disproportionate attachment and commitment to those local units. This work likewise suggests that developing commitments and ties to meso or larger macro units may be difficult to achieve. Building on previous theories of nested group ties and the theory of social commitments, the authors of this chapter examine the conditions under which attachments and commitment to meso or larger macro units may fruitfully develop. They assert that if larger, more encompassing social units are capable of verifying self-defining identities, then those units are potential targets for attachment and commitment. Overall, this work seeks to illustrate how interactions, emotions, and attributions at the micro level can trigger identification with more enveloping macro units.