identification for new hires, while those who are demographically different may have a hard time identifying with the group as a whole.
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Distinctiveness.
People are more likely to notice identities that show how they are different from other groups. Respondents in one study identified more strongly with those in their work group with whom they shared uncommon or rare demographic characteristics.
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For example, veterinarians who work in veterinary medicine (where every-one is a veterinarian) identify with their organization, and veterinarians in nonveterinary medicine fields such as animal research or food inspection (where being a veterinarian is a more distinctive characteristic) identify with their profession.
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Status.
Because people use identities to define themselves and increase self-esteem, it makes sense that they are most interested in linking themselves to high-status groups. Graduates of prestigious universities will go out of their way to emphasize their links to their alma maters and are also more likely to make donations.
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People are likely to not identify with a low-status organiza-tion and will be more likely to quit in order to leave that identity behind.
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Uncertainty reduction.
Membership in a group also helps some people understand who they are and how they fit into the world.
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One study showed how the creation of a spin-off company created questions about how employees should develop a unique identity that corresponded more closely to what the division was becoming.
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Managers worked to define and communicate an idealized identity for the new organization when it became clear employees were confused.