“We Are Moral": How a Team Moral Identity Influences the Functions and Outcomes of a Team

Abstract

This dissertation introduces the construct of team moral identity, which refers to a team's shared sense of self that considers morality as a central, distinctive, and enduring characteristic of the team. Drawing from ethical theory, I delineate the construct into two forms: conduct-oriented and outcome-oriented identity. By incorporating literature on collective identity literature, the IPESO (Input Process Emergent State Outcome) framework, and self-verification theory, I propose several critical antecedents and consequences of team moral identity. In a series of empirical studies, I develop a scale to measure team moral identity, establish its construct validity, and test several of the proposed relationships within the theoretical model. This work yields several significant results. Most notably, this dissertation demonstrates that team moral identity has a substantial impact on team functions and outcomes, including those with moral and non-moral implications, such as team conflict, team engagement, team creativity, team performance, and team moral behavior. Ultimately, this dissertation contributes to the literature and offers numerous practical implications.