Social Identification in Organizations: The Double‐Edged Nature of Identity Fusion and Workgroup Identification via Harmonious and Obsessive Passion at Work

Drawing on Social Identity Theory, this research examines how identification with one's workgroup shapes employees' work experiences. We propose that work passion, as a motivational drive, may direct the relationship between identification and work outcomes in different ways. Specifically, we hypothesized that strong workgroup identification would be associated with both harmonious and obsessive passion, with harmonious passion predicting adaptive outcomes and obsessive passion predicting maladaptive ones. In Study 1 (N = 247 Italian employees), workgroup identification was positively related to both forms of passion. Harmonious passion was associated with higher job satisfaction and lower turnover intention. Contrary to expectations, obsessive passion did not explain negative outcomes, as it was positively related to job satisfaction and unrelated to turnover intention. In Study 2 (N = 401 Italian employees), we examined both workgroup identification and identity fusion. Workgroup identification was indirectly associated with lower work stress through harmonious passion but with higher stress through obsessive passion. When identity fusion was included, it emerged as a better predictor of adaptive outcomes. Overall, findings highlight work passion as a key mechanism linking group bonds to work outcomes and suggest that identity fusion is a valuable construct for understanding workplace group dynamics.