Bolstering organizational identity, commitment, and citizenship behaviors through the process of inoculation

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to examine whether organizational identity, commitment, and organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) can be bolstered through the use of inoculation treatments. Design/methodology/approach - A four-phase experiment with 317 subjects was conducted in a laboratory setting to determine if inoculation messages could bolster organizational attitudes manifested in organizational identity and commitment, as well as citizenship behaviors. Findings - Results show that organizational identity, organizational commitment, and certain OCBs can be strengthened through internal communication. Research limitations/implications - Small effect sizes are a limitation, but they are very common in persuasion research. Originality/value - This article adds to the literature on organizational identity, commitment, and OCBs. It demonstrates that inoculation can be used to bolster these employee attitudes, which had not been examined before.