Examining societal polarization in organizational contexts: An analysis through social identities

This dissertation aims to explore how societal polarization is experienced within organizational settings; under what conditions identities gain visibility across different sectoral and institutional contexts; and how these processes reflect organizational structures, relationships, and individual experiences. To interpret these experiences, the study draws on the social identity theory, intergroup emotions theory, and the contact theory as its conceptual framework. Within a phenomenological design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with employees from both public and private sector organizations; data were collected from 15 participants in the public sector and 23 in the private sector. The interviews were thematically analyzed using the MaxQDA software. Findings indicate that dynamics of societal polarization influences organizations. Increased in-group favoritism and out-group bias among employees with opposing views tend to weaken cooperation, trust, and sense of belonging. Under such conditions, employees were observed to respond through avoidance, compliance, or conflict. The negative effects appeared more pronounced in the public sector due to greater heterogeneity and visibility of identities, whereas in the private sector, ownership, corporate ideology, recruitment, and socialization practices contributed to a more homogeneous workforce, thereby adjusting identity visibility and hierarchy at the organizational level. Overall, the study suggests that societal polarization affects not only interpersonal relationships within organizations but also organizational processes themselves.