Mapping Emotional Pathways to Social Identity in Hybrid Work: A Computational Model for Organizational Cohesion

Area of Science:

• Organizational psychology
• Computational social science
• Social identity theory

Background:

• Understanding the evolution of social identity in organizations is crucial.
• Hybrid work environments present unique challenges to group cohesion and identity formation.
• Emotional contagion plays a significant role in shaping individual and group dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an integrated computational model of social identity formation in hybrid work settings.
• To investigate the micro-dynamics of how transient emotional contagion leads to stable social identity.
• To explore the moderating effects of cognitive heterogeneity and gender on this process.

Main Methods:

• Agent-based modeling (ABM) to simulate a four-stage process: Emotional Cycle, Emotional Memory Accumulation, Cognitive Formation, and Enhancement Effect.
• Computational simulations to analyze the pathway from emotional contagion to group identification.
• Exploratory simulations contrasting high- and low-hybridity work configurations.

Main Results:

• Cognitive heterogeneity slows identity formation but increases robustness.
• Females show higher susceptibility to emotional contagion; males' identification is more influenced by issue relevance.
• Hybrid work environments attenuate emotional feedback loops, slow consensus, and increase the risk of subgroup silos.

Conclusions:

• The study provides a mechanistic explanation for the emotional underpinnings of organizational culture.
• A dynamic framework is offered for managers to cultivate collective identity in hybrid workplaces.
• Findings highlight the reshaping of identity formation pathways in digitally mediated, dispersed work settings.