Company, country, connections: counterfactual origins increase organizational commitment, patriotism, and social investment.
Four studies examined the relationship between counterfactual origins--thoughts about how the beginning of organizations, countries, and social connections might have turned out differently--and increased feelings of commitment to those institutions and connections. Study 1 found that counterfactually reflecting on the origins of one's country increases patriotism. Study 2 extended this finding to organizational commitment and examined the mediating role of poignancy. Study 3 found that counterfactual reflection boosts organizational commitment even beyond the effects of other commitment-enhancing appeals and that perceptions of fate mediate the positive effect of counterfactual origins on commitment. Finally, Study 4 temporally separated the counterfactual manipulation from a behavioral measure of commitment and found that counterfactual reflection predicted whether participants e-mailed social contacts 2 weeks later. The robust relationship between counterfactual origins and commitment was found across a wide range of companies and countries, with undergraduates and M.B.A. students, and for attitudes and behaviors.
Ersner-Hershfield
Hal
H
Department of Management and Organizations, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 606208, USA. h-ersnerhershfield@kellogg.northwestern.edu
Galinsky
Adam D
AD
Kray
Laura J
LJ
King
Brayden G
BG
D001244:Association; D001290:Attitude; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D034742:Electronic Mail; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007092:Imagination; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007600:Judgment; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D015279:Organizational Culture; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D010558:Personnel Loyalty; D012919:Social Behavior; D012924:Social Conditions; D012933:Social Identification; D012945:Social Values