Collective Identity, Collective Trust, and Social Capital: Linking Group Identification and Group Cooperation

In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest by organizational scholars in groups and teams. Although sometimes noting the liabilities of group processes, much of this literature celebrates the virtues of groups, arguing that they contribute to more effective organizational learning, decision making, and problem solving (Bennis, 1997; Goodman, 1986; Hackman, 1990). Bennis (1997) provided perhaps the most enthusiastic analysis of what groups can accomplish over individuals: “In these creative alliances,” he suggested, “the leader and the team are able to achieve something together that neither could achieve alone. The leader finds greatness in the group. And he or she helps the members find it in themselves” (p. 3).