The purpose of this study is to offer a reliable and valid German questionnaire on organizational identification, suitable for practical settings. The term "organizational identification" is discussed and research on German samples is reviewed. In an empirical study, a four- dimensional scale (according to Kreiner & Ashforth, 2004) is investigated for its structure by confirmatory factor analysis. To test the scales validity, antecedents of organizational identification (e.g., organizational identity strength or psychological contract breach), as well as consequences (e.g. days absent from work or organizational citizenship behavior) are tested.
A three factorial structure - representing ambivalent identification, neutral identification, and positive identification - fits the data best. Regression analyses show that the strength of an organizations identity has an impact on all facets of identification, and that the presence of role conflict predicts ambivalent identification. Ambivalent identification is the single most important predictor of the number of days absent from work, and presumably decreases organizational citizenship behavior.