Organizational Engagement: Exploring World View, Psychological Sense of Community, and Organizational Identification Within a Relational Community

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CHIONESO, NKECHINYELUM ASALE. Organizational Engagement: Exploring World View, Psychological Sense of Community, and Organizational Identification within a Relational Community. (Under the direction of Craig C. Brookins.)

Professional organizations are defined as relational communities that when

operating effectively can facilitate group goals. These organizations, however, must have a membership that is committed to the goals of the organization and properly engaged in its effective operation. One of the major goals of the Community of African Scholars Association (CASA) is to engage in social change processes that will have a positive impact on African communities. This study examined world view, psychological sense of community, organizational identification, perceived organizational engagement, and organizational participation in a sample of students and professionals affiliated with CASA. With perceived organizational engagement used as a necessary, but insufficient, proxy for social change, the study used both qualitative and quantitative methods to accomplish the following objectives: 1) to measure the world view, psychological sense of community (PSOC), and organizational identification in a sample of CASA members; 2) to determine what relationship these variables may have on perceived organizational engagement and organizational participation; and 3) to provide descriptive and

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BIOGRAPHY

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank my committee members Dr. Craig C. Brookins, Dr. Deidre H. Crumbley, Dr. Herbert A. Exum, and Dr. Roger E. Mitchell, as well as Dr. Rupert Nacoste. Thank you for your expertise, support, flexibility, time devoted to evaluating this dissertation, and for your valuable suggestions during my final defense. I am extremely grateful to both Dr. Brookins and Dr. Exum. Kwesi, your trust, community building efforts, and the various opportunities that you afforded me made my academic journey more meaningful and unforgettable. Chief Exum, during my setback I

appreciated your concern, warmth, and clear perspective.

To my family, especially my mother, sister, and Elsene Randall, thank you for your unwavering confidence in my abilities. My triumphs are your triumphs. To my mother/daughter/sister/friends Desrene Freeman, Marlyn Jones, Donna Ricketts,

Jacqueline Russell, Brenda Stone-Wiggins, Juliette Storr, and Arlene Ugbaja. Thank you for laughter, your continuous support, opportunities to complain, and for making the isolation somewhat bearable.

To Ajamu Nangwaya, thank you for facilitating my transition to North Carolina and for all of your support when I became tired of the rigors of academia. Your

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periodic reprieves. Your constant reminder of the importance of mentally and verbally manifesting my goals contributed to the successful completion of this process, and it will facilitate my transition into new processes.

To those who assisted in the collation, distribution, and/or collection of my data, thank you for your willingness to help me: Shawn Bediako, Kofi John Bedward, Steve Edwards, Derek Griffith, Lawrence James, Ma'at Lewis, Lisa Marshall, Tiesha Nelson, Ebikefe Porbeni, Anthony Smith, and Larry Turner. Seemingly small gestures are often very monumental. To CASA members, I am forever grateful for your participation in this study, for sharing your perspectives, and for recognizing the importance of my research. May the wisdom of the ancestors, the skills and energy of current members, and the talents of those still to come, contribute to CASA's greater community

development and continuous engagement in positive national and international social change endeavors.

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LIST OF TABLES

Page LITERATURE REVIEW

1 A Comparison of Abstracted Optimal and 22 Suboptimal World Views

METHOD

2 Participant Characteristics 52

3 Subscales, Number of Items, and Item Examples 54 of the Sense of Community Index (SCI)

4 Subscales, Number of Items, and Item Examples 57 of Perceived Organizational Engagement (POE)

5 Response Rates of Completed Paper-and-Pencil 58 Surveys Compared to Online Surveys

RESULTS - QUANTITATIVE

6 Demographic Characteristics of Participants 63 7 Pearson Intercorrelations for Scores on Survey 66 Measures

8 Mean Scores and Standard Deviations for Total 67 BSAS Scale Scores on Three Samples

9 Hierarchical Multiple Regression of Demographic 68 Variables, and Psychological Sense of Community

(SCI) Predicting Organizational Identification (IDPG)

10 Hierarchical Multiple Regression of Demographic 69 Variables and Psychological Sense of Community

(SCI) Predicting Goal Achievement

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Page

(SCI) Predicting Organizational Satisfaction

(SCI) Predicting Perceived Organizational Engagement (POE)

14 Hierarchical Multiple Regression of Demographic 74 Variables and Perceived Organizational Engagement

(POE) Predicting Organizational Participation

15 Hierarchical Multiple Regression of Demographic 76 Variables, Professional Development, Organizational

Identification, Membership Benefits, Action Steps, and Individual Influence on Organizational Participation

16 Pearson Intercorrelations for Scores on Five POE 78 Subscales and all Survey Measures

17 Mean Scores, Standard Deviations, and Cronbach's 79 Alpha for Perceived Organizational Engagement

(POE) Scale Scores and Organizational Participation Scores

18 Independent T-Tests of Gender Differences on the 81 Surveys

19 Independent T-Tests of Mean Age (Years) Differences 81 on the Surveys

20 Independent T-Tests Type of Degree Completed on 82

the Surveys

21 Independent T-Tests of Relationship Status Differences 82 on the Surveys

22 Independent T-Tests Parental Status Differences on 83

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Page

(SCI) Predicting Professional Development

(SCI) Predicting Membership Benefits

(SCI) Predicting Action Steps

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LIST OF FIGURES

Page SUMMARY & RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1 Hypothesized interrelationships between independent 48 and dependent variables

RESULTS - QUANTITATIVE

2 Initial interrelationships between independent and 72 dependent variables

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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Communities are ideal sites for community members (especially those whom have been historically silenced within larger society) to develop the competencies to become architects of their own (both individual and collective) psychological, political, economic, social, environmental, moral, and spiritual empowerment. In other words, community is a location where positive social change can be cultivated, particularly when a professional organization is regarded as a community, and social change is a component of its world view. Within such organizations, social change has the greatest chance of occurring when the membership is engaged, identifies with the organization, and the members have a positive psychological sense of community (PSOC).

Building on this premise, it is important to examine the variables that may play a role in social change processes. If the "need for an ongoing sense of oneself as an agent in the world whose being and whose actions make a difference in the world" (Bracher, 1999, p. 2) was developed in tandem with an optimal world view and community

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Conceptualization of the Study

This study consists of two major research interests. The primary research interest examines the importance of community as a site for social change. For this study, a professional organization catering primarily to scholars, namely, the Community of African Scholars Association (CASA), is defined as a relational community and will be the focus of the research. CASA is a professional organization with an international membership that is concerned about African communities and articulates a mission interested in social change. Within the CASA community this study will examine the psychological sense of community (PSOC), organizational identification, and perceived organizational engagement of its membership. Moreover, it is hypothesized that a bivariate and multivariate relationship may exist between these variables and thereby contribute to the organization's ability to fulfill its social change mission. In this study, social change will not be operationalized or measured but instead perceived

organizational engagement will be used as a (necessary but insufficient) proxy based on the assumption that it will occur through an organization successfully fulfilling its social change mission. If this is true, how does it occur and through what mechanisms? What are the individual and potentially linked roles of PSOC and organizational identification? Do these variables have an impact on perceived organizational engagement?

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identification? More generally, an exploration of world view among African scholars is facilitative in the pursuit of gaining a better understanding of what has proven to be a complex and multidimensional construct. The more information that is gathered about world view from diverse populations with varied experiences, the greater the likelihood that social scientists will begin to understand the influences of world view on the broad human experience.

World view, PSOC, and organizational identification are psychosocial constructs that may influence organizational engagement and perhaps social change. The world view construct consists of beliefs, values, and assumptions that may be unproven but nevertheless guide one's cognition, behavior, goals, and understanding of reality, life, and the world and its various institutions (Koltko-Rivera, 2000). Beliefs and values are part of world view. Koltko-Rivera (2000) pointed out that existential beliefs tend to describe entities that are believed to exist in the world (e. g., a God created the world). Evaluative world view beliefs tend to describe entities, events, or behaviors in terms of judgment (e. g., human nature is basically good). Prescriptive and proscriptive world view beliefs (i. e., values) tend to describe preferred means or ends (e. g., people should live in the moment) (Koltko-Rivera, 2000, p. 10). Clearly, world view is a pervasive aspect of human existence and thus, an exploration of world view is important. Additionally, the importance of world view within the context of this study is reinforced by researchers who have indicated that a "view of self---one that is built on the 'fundamental

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individual's beliefs and actions" that may lead to positive social interactions (Dutton, Dukerich, & Harquail, 1994, p. 260).

Most researchers regard PSOC as a positive and desirable attribute. It is generally regarded as a sense of belonging, commitment, and meaningful interactions with a

particular community, and if this is threatened "the prospect of leading rewarding lives is to a greater or lesser extent diminished" (Puddifoot, 1996, p. 327). PSOC is the

perception of similarity to others, an acknowledged interdependence with others, a willingness to maintain this interdependence by giving to or doing for others what one expects from them, the feeling that one is part of a larger dependable and stable structure (Sarason, 1974, p. 157).

What is important about the PSOC construct and its relationship to organizational engagement, is its purported ability to foster social change by challenging oppressive circumstances. That is, promoting PSOC has the potential to develop "strategies that build individual resistance to oppression as well as empowerment strategies designed to integrate people into the 'life' of the Community" thereby maximizing "their strengths and influence" (Brookins, 1999, p. 36). Hence, for the purposes of this study, it is important to examine PSOC among CASA members.

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literature on organizational behavior, affecting both the satisfaction of the individual and the effectiveness of the organization" (Ashforth & Mael, 1989, p. 20). In addition, there are "several basic psychological needs that organizations fill for people. These include the need to be recognized and validated [and] the need to feel part of a larger or more powerful entity" (Bracher, 1999, p. 2). Given the relationship between organizational identification and organizational engagement, as well as individuals' needs within organizations, organizational identification appears to be an important construct that should be examined in the current study.

Apparently, to cultivate organizational engagement and social change, world view and PSOC must be examined. To understand world view and develop notions of PSOC, organizational identification appears to be an important variable to also consider. The relevance of all of these factors is most pronounced in relation to some community, and that community will be CASA.

Community as a Unit of Action

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Irrespective of classification, community is "commonly used as a noun or an adjective. But community also is a unit of solution in society. It is a process through which people [can] take initiative and act collectively" (Checkoway, 1995, p. 3). The resistance struggles of African American (both geographical and relational) communities speaks to this claim. Despite the numerous faces of oppression (i.e., enslavement, Jim Crow laws, racial profiling, limited access to social resources, etc.), it is within

communities that African Americans have sustained their spirit of resistance. As a result, they have continuously transplanted themselves within the American context and are constantly transforming the social landscape. What is known as "the great" American fabric/quilt cannot be sown without the various African American threads, patterns, and improvisations. "Community thus is more than a noun or an adjective, but also a verb

[italics added] that refers to a means of intervention and a process of participation in society" (Checkoway, 1995, p. 4).

Conceptualizing community as a unit of action, a verb, facilitates creating and engaging in effective social change processes; in other words, empowerment processes. Like community, the term empowerment has numerous definitions and uses. This study embraces Checkoway's (1995) definition:

Empowerment [is] . . . a multilevel process which includes individual

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community change. Empowerment at its best includes all three levels: individual involvement, organizational development, and community change (p. 4).

If, as Checkoway (1995) further states, empowerment is a type of power that is "a present or potential resource in every person or community" (p. 4) and a "process in which people gain greater mastery over their own destiny"(p. 12), an inextricable interdependence exists between individuals, communities, and empowerment. Does PSOC capture this powerful interdependence? The expression of these attributes, are they dependent on levels of PSOC, world view, and/or organizational identification?

Community is a positive and meaningful entity that represents resources of empowerment (Dalton et al., 2001; Howarth, 2001; McMillan & Chavis, 1986; Puddifoot, 1996). Do most individuals or communities believe this assertion? Does

world view dictate PSOC and one's acceptance or rejection of this assertion? World view is a "structure of philosophical assumptions, values, and principles upon which a way of perceiving the world is based" (Montgomery, Fine, & James-Myers, 1990, p. 38), essentially the lens(es) with which we view the world. Undoubtedly, world view is a formidable entity that should not be ignored.

In order to cultivate PSOC and all of its potential, world view must certainly be examined. An exploratory study of world view and PSOC should ideally occur within a community context and have a practical application. That community context will be CASA, and the practical application will attempt to identify how organizational engagement may be improved. In other words, what is the relationship of world view, PSOC, and organizational identification in enhancing CASA's organizational

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The Community of African Scholars Association (CASA)

The Community of African ScholarsAssociation (CASA) (a pseudonym) is an independent, charitable, educational, and professional organization. Founded in the United States during the 1960s by African American social scientists, CASA was established to address the needs and concerns of African communities. CASA currently has an international membership of approximately 1,000 individuals. Members derive from African, Caribbean, European, and North American countries. Organizational goals include, but are not limited to enhancing the well-being of African people and their communities, influencing social change, promoting research and approaches to social science that are consistent with the experiences of African people, as well as developing support networks and mentoring for African social science professionals and students.

CASA adheres to an African-centered (or Afrocentric/Africentric) world view whereby its fundamental principles are informed by the common African philosophy of

who you are is who you are connected to (see Mbiti, 1989). Key dimensions of an Afrocentric world view are the radical transformation of African people's psychological, spiritual, and material conditions---African peoples liberation. It affirms

Africaness/Blackness and recognizes African people as agents/subjects rather than objects of history. Afrocentrism presents an alternative epistemology that questions (some) hegemonic ideas. It also attempts to develop multidisciplinary critical scholarship on African people and their experiences. (Akbar, 1984; Asante, 1998; Dove, 1998;

Karenga, 1988; Myers, 1988; Turner, 1984).

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space is African centered as is evidenced in its appellation: African. Using the terms "African" and "Black" interchangeably, CASA defines itself as an organization of people of African descent. CASA's articulated mission is to aid in the liberation of people of African descent regardless of geographical place of birth by having a beneficial impact on Black individuals and institutions that optimizes both personal and social functioning. Other examples of CASA's African world view are evidenced in its ethical standards that premise collective responsibility, respect, reciprocity, courage, and accountability. CASA is committed to an African-centered approach for healing and health promotion that emphasizes the interconnections among mental, spiritual, and physical health. Lastly, CASA is involved in the development of social science grounded in Africentric curriculum. In sum, by providing information, training, services, and advocacy, CASA attempts to positively influence the health, healing, and liberatory processes of African people throughout the African Diaspora.

Goals of the Study

The current study intends to examine world view, PSOC, and organizational identification among CASA members. "Organizational identification is a subset of the more general 'identification with a psychological group' (IDPG), defined as a feeling of oneness with a defined aggregate of persons, involving the perceived experience of its successes and failures" (Mael and Tetrick, 1992, p. 814). It is recognized that

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premise, what is the nature of CASA members' organizational identification? Does organizational identification influence CASA's organizational engagement?

According to Bracher (1999), (professional) academic organizations have three primary missions: producing new knowledge of a significant rather than trivial nature, disseminating this knowledge, both to other experts in the field and to students, and finding new ways to put this knowledge to use to benefit people (p. 1). Will an emphasis on certain dimensions of world view (e.g., collectivist characteristics) and the creation of a strong PSOC enhance organizational identification and result in organizational

engagement? Indeed, several factors may influence organizational engagement. An assessment of how CASA members believe the organization is achieving its goals will be important and useful. Understanding membership characteristics will help CASA be more responsive to the needs of its members and thus more organizationally effective. Therefore, a broad survey of membership characteristics will provide a baseline for future assessments of organizational engagement and effectiveness.

Summary

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Very little research has examined world view, PSOC, and/or organizational identification within relational (i.e., professional organizational) communities and among African scholars. "The heights we attain in life are a function of our own making" (Jones-Hendrickson, 1990, inscribed in the researcher's used copy). Thus, an exploration of PSOC among CASA scholars has the potential to propel CASA and its scholarship into a realm of its own making, a realm that actively taps into human agency and creates positive social change. Therefore, the proposed study serves two major functions. First, it examines the psychosocial constructs expected to have an influence on organizational engagement. Second, the study intends to provide descriptive and informational data useful to CASA's organizational engagement. A full and thorough report on the study will be provided to the organization and individual members who request the study.

In the following chapter, literature on world view, PSOC, and organizational identification will be reviewed. This will establish a theoretical foundation for the current study. Chapter three summarizes the study, and outlines the research questions and respective hypotheses. Chapter four identifies the methods taken in order to achieve this study's goals. Quantitative and qualitative results are outlined in chapters five and six, respectively. Finally, chapter seven discusses the research findings and identifies the contribution of this research to existing knowledge about world view, PSOC, and

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CHAPTER II

LITERATURE REVIEW

It is important to examine a community's ability to influence social change processes. For over 30 years, the Community of African Scholars Association (CASA) has been committed to liberatory and health promoting research, advocacy, training, professional development, and services for the enhanced well-being of African people throughout the world. Given CASA's social change mission, longevity, as well as its international focus and membership, CASA was chosen as the researcher's relational community of interest.

This study will explore the interrelationships of psychosocial constructs namely, world view, PSOC, and organizational identification, and how these constructs may engender organizational engagement within a relational community. Therefore, the proposed study serves two major functions: to examine psychosocial constructs, specifically, world view, PSOC, and organizational identification; and to provide descriptive and informational data useful to CASA's organizational effectiveness.

Literature on world view, PSOC, and organizational identification will be reviewed. This will establish the theoretical foundation for the current study.

World View

Within the social sciences, world view literature is most often found in

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definite vision of the world" (p. 517). Tax (1941) understood world view as "'the mental apprehension of reality which includes the total of knowledge and beliefs about nature and man" (p. 37). Redfield (1952) defined world view as that "outlook upon the universe that is characteristic of a people. . . . It is the properties of existence as distinguished from and related to the self" (p. 30). Similarly, Geertz (1977) asserted that a people's "world-view is their picture of the way things in their sheer actuality are, their concept of nature, of self, of society. It contains their most comprehensive ideas of order" (p. 374). World view is a broad concept, generally understood as a guiding philosophical or conceptual framework of beliefs and assumptions about the world. Variations in

definition capture some of its taken-for-granted components. In an attempt to find a comprehensive definition and meaningful organization of world view literature, Kearney (1975) conducted an extensive review of anthropological world view studies. Briefly, he found that "world view is not a well-established field of study in the sense that it appears in course catalogs, or that there are recognized schools of world view theory or many scholars specializing in it" (Kearney, 1975, p. 247). The study of world view is generally very descriptive. World view is often understood in categorical terms: time and space, causality, and self. "World views are culturally organized systems of knowledge" (Kearney, 1975, p. 248). Lastly, every world view has hidden implications.

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consciously aware of their worldview than they are of, [for example,] the grammatical principles which underlie the language they speak (p. 54). Second, world view and religious concepts have been conflated. Anthropologists have focused on religious beliefs, rituals, "witchcraft," and mystical causation as the determining attributes of a people's understanding of self, the universe, and their respective interrelationship (Geertz, 1977; Kiernan, 1981). According to Kiernan (1981), the world-outlook of numerous peoples were "explicitly labelled [sic] religious" and "declared as the 'metaphysical aspect' of religion" by anthropologists (p. 4). As a result, the "content of 'worldview' is now reduced to an aspect of religion. . . . Acceptance of the equivalence between worldview and religion is therefore more or less entrenched in our thinking" (Kiernan, 1981, p. 4).

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contextualists contend that as a result of the interdependency of individuals within their respective sociohistorical contexts, many Igbo world views, for example, exist rather than a single Igbo world view (Goldhaber, 2000; Kiernan, 1981).

Given the implicit nature of world view, its religious subsumption, and the undeniable importance of sociohistorical contexts, these and other factors have contributed to world view's "disused concept" research status (Kiernan, 1981, p. 3). Nevertheless, researchers such as Geertz (1977) asserted that despite the "vague and imprecise" nature of the world view construct, it is a "kind of proto-theory, forerunner, it is to be hoped, of a more adequate analytical framework . . . which can clarify rather than obscure the essential processes involved in the normative regulation of behavior" (p. 382). Hence, some researchers began to take a more integrated and holistic approach to world view that did not remain vague and imprecise, was restricted to religiosity, or ignored social contexts and interrelationships. Kearney (1975) described this ideological shift as a

moving into a phase of world view study which can be called systematic, in which there is greater concern to explore the kinds of dynamic relationships that

integrate the various isolated propositions of particular world views among themselves, their social and geographic environments, and their associated cultural behaviors (p. 267).

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to define reality. How we define reality will be the key to our liberation [processes] or determine our oppression" (Myers, 1984, p. 8).

African philosophical tradition centralizes collectives rather than individuals in social interactions, however, not to the detriment of the individual (Herskovits, 1958; Mbiti, 1989; Nobles, 1972; Ogbonnaya, 1994). Ogbonnaya (1994) indicated that "from an African world view the human person must be seen as a community in and of itself including a plurality of selves. . . . The human person is fundamentally a community as well as community engendering" (pp. 75 and 83). An African world view thus

recognizes that individuals are interdependent creations of their communities and the individual's existence is both an intra and inter communal experience with the

living/contemporary selves, the dead/ancient selves, and the unborn members/emergent selves of the group (Mbiti, 1989; Nobles, 1972; Ogbonnaya, 1994). "All worldviews are at the same time wholes that include but transcend antecedent worldviews, and parts that are (or will be) transcended but included within subsequent worldviews" (Kakol, 2002, p. 210). Given the major impact and presence of Africans throughout the diaspora, what is/are the world view(s) of African scholars?

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are near. Some spirits of the dead (i.e., duppies) may terrorize the living, while others may protect their relatives by communicating with them (i.e., via visions) during sleep (p. 23). Also, because the "world, God, spirits, nature, and humanity are all governed by order and interdependence," nature provides remedies for all illnesses and it "represents a zone which interfaces the material and spirit worlds, thus establishing a continuum of universal existence" (Chevannes, 1995, pp. 24-25).

Vodun could be summarized as a set of religious beliefs that provide "sanction for such mores as the taboos on murder, incest, theft, and the showing of disrespect to the old" (Simpson, 2001, p. 579). As such, Simpson (2001) indicated that vodun provided Haitian peasants with a world view that explained the universe and gave their lives meaning and direction. Lastly, Kebede and Knottnerus (1998) identified that the "concept of 'livity' occupies a central place in the Rastafarian world view. . . . Livity involves a philosophy of living harmoniously as well as collectively with nature." (p. 503). Their notable (vegetarian) diet, (dreadlocks) hairstyle, and (Reggae) music are all expressions of Rastafarian world view.

Written information about African diasporic world views is also embedded within the work of African scholars, writers, and major personalities/activists, such as Frantz Fanon (e. g., Black Skin, White Mask), W. E. B. Dubois (e. g., Souls of Black Folk), Jamaica Kincaid (e. g., A Small Place), Walter Rodney (e.g., How Europe

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differences throughout the African Diaspora; however, the literature seems to indicate that African diasporic world views are fundamentally similar to African philosophies. The current study intends to address this observation and to make a contribution to this body of literature from a community psychology perspective.

Moreover, understanding the multidimensional constructs of world view, is an important endeavor that may provide theoretical, research, and practical applications (Brookins, 1994; Graham, 1999; Myers & Speight, 1994; Koltko-Rivera, 2000). A paucity of empirical research on world view exists within (community) psychology literature. Much of the world view literature is part of the multicultural counseling and psychotherapy literature, as well as African-centered world view bodies of literature.

Multicultural counseling and psychotherapy researchers have begun to recognize that "available models of counseling and development rest on the values and belief systems of the 'accepted' majority point of view," and these "models systematically deny the realities of immigrants, ethnic minorities, women, disabled persons, elderly, and gays and lesbians" (Ibrahim, 1991, p. 13). Hence, world view has been "identified as a critical variable that can ease or obstruct the process of counseling" (Ibrahim, 1991, p. 14). Sue's (1978, 1981) research is highly respected. He generally defined world view as an

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Similarly, Ibrahim (1991) argued that world view is the "mediating variable that makes knowledge of a specific cultural group and knowledge of . . . culture-specific techniques meaningful. Without the worldview as a mediating variable, both knowledge of specific cultures and culture-specific techniques can be misapplied" (p. 14). Ibrahim and Owen (1994) reported that empirical multicultural and psychotherapy studies have examined effective cross-cultural counselor training (Sadlak & Ibrahim, 1986), world view and attitudes toward seeking therapy (Klein, 1989), comparisons of world views among national and international groups (Ibrahim, Freitas, & Owen, 1993), comparisons of world views among a sample of Caucasian women and men (Furn & Ibrahim, 1987), and assessment of organizational culture (Chu-Richardson, 1988) (pp. 201-202).

Within the African-centered literature, world view is a set of "beliefs, values, and assumptions that reflect basic African values found among persons of African descent. . . . The transmission of values, beliefs, and philosophical orientations from Africa

modified by experiences in [the] America[s] shape the values, behaviors, and beliefs" of Africans in the diaspora (Belgrave, Townsend, Cherry, & Cunningham, 1997, p. 423). Belgrave et al., (1997) reported that Africentric values include: spirituality (i. e., the belief that there is a presence or force greater than oneself), interpersonal orientation and communalism (i. e., a belief in the importance of the group, and cooperation rather than competition), harmony (i. e., all aspects of one's life must be integrated and balanced in order to function optimally), time as a social phenomenon (i. e., the belief that all things flow into one another and events are not disconnected), and expressive

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diasporic groups is recognized, within African-centered literature "this world view is assumed to be core to a substantial number" of Africans throughout the diaspora (Belgrave et al., 1997, p. 423).

World view has been empirically researched in relation to a variety of topics. These topics have included students' racial identity attitudes (Brookins, 1994), women's stress mediation and reduction (Jackson & Sears, 1992), African American and European American cultural differences (Baldwin & Hopkins, 1990), graduate students' experience of the imposter phenomenon (Ewing, Richardson, James-Myers, & Russell, 1996), drug knowledge, attitudes, and use among youth (Belgrave et al., 1997), interpreting

traditional African medicine (Mphande & James-Myers, 1993), and students' adjustment to a predominately White university campus (Hatter & Ottens, 1998).

The delineation of Africentric values has prominently been featured in the work of researchers such as Akbar (1979), Azibo (1991), Kambon (1992), Myers (1988), and Nobles (1986), to name a few. These researchers have been instrumental in the

development of an "Afrikan psychology," which some regard as an emerging discipline, based on the previously mentioned Africentric values (Azibo, 1996; Brookins, 1999; Burlew, Banks, McAdoo, & Azibo, 1992; Jones, 1999). What is particularly relevant about Afrikan psychology, is that it "views social change through the lens of a 'liberation struggle' that promotes African cultural paradigms and individual and Community transformation" towards "group competencies such as Community activism, prevention, and empowerment" (Brookins, 1999, p. 29).

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(1990) Belief Systems Analysis Scale (BSAS) and Koltko-Rivera's (2000) Worldview Assessment Instrument (WAI) are promising assessment tools. The BSAS emerged from Myers' (1988) Optimal Theory, which is grounded in ancient traditional African beliefs (e.g., the importance of unity, cooperative effort, mutual responsibility, and

reconciliation). Optimal theory posits that "a nonmaterial (or spiritual) reality underlying all observed material phenomena" exists, and there is a "positive unity of spirit

(thoughts/feelings) and matter," which is common to all individuals and unites everyone and everything in the universe (Montgomery et al., 1990, p. 38). An active embracement of such a view "structures human consciousness toward the creation of the summum bonum (greatest good) as conceived by a sense of self-inclusion with venerated ancestors, the yet unborn, nature, and the community" (Montgomery et al., 1990, p. 38).

In contrast, a suboptimal conceptual system emphasizes that reality is known only (materially) through the five senses, the acquisition of objects, mastery over others and nature, individualism, and one's sense of worth is based on external criteria (see Table 1) (Montgomery, et al., 1990, p. 39). Racism/sexism and other discriminatory behaviors are believed to derive from a suboptimal world view. Therefore, the "philosophical

parameter of an optimal world view originating from ancient traditional African cultures" is regarded as optimal because of "its thrust toward the achievement of peace, happiness, and positive interpersonal relationships" (Montgomery et al., 1990, p. 38). Subsequently, the five world view constructs underlying BSAS include: Interpersonal Valuing

examines the value placed on interpersonal relationships versus material gain;

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extent to which progress is regarded as a dialectical process and opportunity for growth;

Nonmaterial Based Satisfaction measures the extent to which material items are not the basis of well-being; and Optimism assesses perceived positive outcomes in a variety of situations (Montgomery et al., 1990, p. 49).

Table 1

A Comparison of Abstracted Optimal and Suboptimal World Views

Conceptual Systems

World view Optimal Suboptimal

Perspective Holistic (oneness) Segmented (duality) Ontology Reality is known in sensory (material) and

extrasensory (spiritual) fashion

Reality is known only through the five senses (materially)

Values Interpersonal relationships

Harmony Communalism Experience

Acquiring objects Mastery

Individualism Achievement Logic (reasoning) Diunital (objects can be alike

and different at the same time)

Dichotomous (either/or)

Identity Extended self Individual self

Acquisition of Knowledge

Knowledge gained through

inductive synthesis and self-awareness

Knowledge external to self and known by counting and measuring

Sense of worth Intrinsic being Based on external criteria

Note. Adapted from Myers (1988) and Montgomery et al. (1990).

A Note on Afrocentricity and World View

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it is important here to address both the strengths and potential weaknesses of the construct. Afrocentricity is basically defined as "literally, placing African ideals at the center of any analysis that involves African culture and behavior" (Asante, 1998, p. 2). Afrocentricity is a "moral as well as an intellectual location that posits Africans as subjects rather than as objects of human history and that establishes a perfectly valid and scientific basis for the explanation of African historical experiences" (Asante, 1998, p. xiii). Many African scholars are staunch supporters of an Afrocentric theory and contend that it offers liberatory ways of being (e.g., greater acknowledgment of cultural pluralism, increased mental health, and a broader educational experience) (Akbar, 1984; Asante, 1988; Dove, 1998; Kambon, 1992; Karenga, 1988; Myers, 1988; Nobles; 1986; Turner, 1984).

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The Afrocentrism debate has been longstanding, ongoing, and differently titled in recent history (e.g., Pan Africanism, Negritude, Black Power, etc.). To be clear, it is not the intention of this study to participate in the debate about the validity of Afrocentrism. Rather, the current study posits a systematic approach to world view that recognizes individuals as active meaning makers in their respective sociohistorical contexts. Therefore, the current study persists in using the Afrocentric world view paradigm and BSAS instrument because the organization participating in the study explicitly prescribes to an African-centered world view, which provides meaning to their contexts, and thus renders the Afrocentric debate somewhat irrelevant.

Additional World View Conceptualizations

Like Montgomery et al. (1990), Koltko-Rivera (2001) developed the World view Assessment Instrument (WAI) to address the need for instruments that comprehensively assess the world view construct. Apparently, "counseling professionals, in particular, have called for the development of instruments to assess world view" (Koltko-Rivera, 2000, p. 22). Although Ibrahim and Khan (1987) developed a Scale to Assess World Views (SAWV), a later study indicated that SAWV "needs to be revised with specific items added to the four dimensions [(i. e., optimistic, traditional, here and now, and pessimistic perspectives)] to bolster the alpha reliabilities to provide a psychometrically powerful instrument for the assessment of world views" (Ibrahim & Owen, 1994, p. 205).

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a set of interrelated beliefs about the nature of reality and human life, including beliefs about motivations, social behavior, and human capacities; within these topic areas, any given world view encompasses beliefs concerning what exists or is possible to occur in the universe, what experiences and entities are good or bad, and what behaviors and end states should be sought or eschewed (p. 25).

The WAI is not grounded in a specific theory, model, and/or philosophy. Instead, Koltko-Rivera (2000) conceptualized the WAI, primarily, in terms of the thoughts and models of six prominent psychologists, psychotherapists, and counselors:

1. S. Freud: emphasized epistemology and to a lesser extent, metaphysics. 2. F. R. Kluckhon: world view is defined by answers to six orientations of

human experience; that is, a human nature orientation, mutability orientation, relation to nature orientation, time orientation, activity orientation, and relational orientation.

3. D. W. Sue: locus of control and locus of responsibility are critical dimensions of world view.

4. A. Bergin: beliefs regarding metaphysics, human agency, epistemology, and personal responsibility are crucial components of world view.

5. J. G. Trevino: world view involves metaphysical beliefs about the causes and cures of disorders.

6. H. C. Triandis: the individualism-collectivism dimension is critical to cultural differences in behavior (pp. 33-59).

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is the degree to which behavior is chosen or determined; Relation to authority identifies hierarchical versus egalitarian partnerships; Relation to group assesses priority given to individual goals versus reference group goals; Locus of responsibility is described as perceived responsibility for the person's situation/status in life; and Metaphysics refers to the reality or unreality of a spiritual dimension to life (p. 26).

As previously mentioned, the WAI is not grounded in a specific theory, model, and/or philosophy. Also, formal testing of Koltko-Rivera's (2000) implicit hypothesis, that is, the beliefs assessed by items from the six subscales refers to six different

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Psychological Sense of Community

Although the term "psychological sense of community" may be particular to (community) psychology, social scientists have been concerned with this theme for some time. Weber's (1947) communal and associative social relations, Durkheim's (1964) mechanical and organic solidarity, and Tonnies' (1963) community (Gemeinschaft) and society (Gesellschaft) theories are examples. These sociologists attempted to explicate a decline in the PSOC that "traditional" communities offered, but appeared to be lacking in "modern" communities as a result of major social changes (e.g., migration to urban centers) with the advent of the 20th century industrial revolution in western societies.

Within community psychology, formal discourse about PSOC began with

Seymour Sarason (1974). His attempt to write a book about this relatively new academic field argued that PSOC was both essential for building community and should be the valued foundation of community psychology. After all, "a field which purported to be concerned with community had to be . . . based on the development and maintenance of the psychological sense of community" (Sarason, 1974, p. viii). He defined PSOC as follows:

The perception of similarity to others, an acknowledged interdependence with others, a willingness to maintain this interdependence by giving to or doing for others what one expects from them, the feeling that one is part of a larger dependable and stable structure (p. 157).

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that the creative potential of the individual and the community will reach expression," and the importance of PSOC as a defining value of community psychology (pp. 158-159).

Since Sarason's (1974) pronouncement of the importance of PSOC, an increase in literature on the topic has occurred and the development of several PSOC scales (Chipuer & Pretty, 1999; Doolittle & MacDonald, 1978; Fisher, Sonn, & Bishop, 2002; Glynn, 1981). However, research and psychometric data tended to exist in the absence of a theoretical base resulting in conceptual confusion, limited comparisons across settings, and impediments in theory-building (Chipuer & Pretty, 1999; Hill, 1996). Currently, investigators agree that McMillan and Chavis' (1986) theory of the dimensions of PSOC begins to address these issues. Their theory is one of the few theoretical discussions of PSOC, and the most widely accepted and used throughout the community psychology literature (Chipuer & Pretty, 1999; Fisher et al., 2002; Hill, 1996; Obst, Zinkiewicz, & Smith, 2002a).

McMillan and Chavis (1986) proposed that PSOC is "a feeling that members have of belonging, a feeling that members matter to one another and to the group, and a shared faith that members' needs will be met through their commitment to be together" (p. 9). Their proposed definition consists of four dimensions: membership, influence, integration and fulfillment of needs, and shared emotional connection (Chavis, Hogge, McMillan, & Wandersman, 1986; McMillan & Chavis, 1986).

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attraction and bi-directional power. That is, the power that an individual has on a community, and the community's ability to obtain conformity and uniformity from members. Integration and fulfillment of needs refers to the satisfaction, shared values, resources, rewards, and positive sense of togetherness derived from individual-group association (i. e., a person-environment fit). Lastly, a shared emotional connection is an affective component of sense of community whereby shared interactions, events, history, and identification creates a spiritual bond (Chavis et al., 1986; McMillan & Chavis, 1986).

In her overview of the PSOC literature, Hill (1996) reported that most studies have identified variables that related to a strong PSOC. Correlates of PSOC have included age, income, education, race, gender, home ownership, presence of children in the home, number of neighbors that are known by name, years of residence in a

neighborhood (Hill, 1986, p. 433). PSOC has also been correlated to self and collective efficacy, community satisfaction, and well-being (Fisher et al., 2002; Puddifoot, 1996). Based on McMillan and Chavis' (1986) theory, the Sense of Community Index (SCI) was developed by Chavis et al., (1986). Subsequently, both theory and measure have been found useful in numerous studies.

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immigration adaptation processes. Pretty, Conroy, Dugay, Fowler, and Williams (1996) reported that the SCI was an effective measure for assessing social environments (neighborhood and school) among adolescents. That is, PSOC was positively related to adolescents' well-being: more happiness and less worry; low degrees of perceived

loneliness, and effective coping skills. Lounsbury and DeNeui (1996) found that students in smaller-sized colleges reported a stronger PSOC and those who reported higher

extroversion scores also reported higher levels of PSOC, regardless of size of college. Sonn (2002) noted that the SCI subscales were promising indicators of psychological well-being among immigrant groups and their adaptation processes; in particular, certain "aspects of sense of community such as emotional attachment and perceptions of social support" (Sonn, 2002, p. 218).

Given the McMillian-Chavis model and the supporting research, do the

dimensions of PSOC apply to African scholars? Very little research has examined PSOC both within relational communities and among African scholars. Hill (1996) pointed out that some researchers have "suggested strongly that the communities that are most important to people may not be defined in a geographic sense" (p. 433). Two common general definitions of community are a territorial conception of community based on geographical locations (e.g., a neighborhood block), and a relational conception of community based on social network relationships (e.g., the feminist community) (Dalton et al, 2001; Puddifoot, 1996). The latter conception is the focus of this study.

Heller (1989) emphasized:

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formal organizations and institutions, and as members of informal groups. . . . What brings people together is not locality but common interests around which social relationships develop (p. 3).

Relational community research has primarily focused on the workplace. These studies have found that PSOC is applicable to relational communities (Klein & D'Aunno, 1986; Lambert & Hopkins, 1995; Mahan, Garrard, Lewis, & Newbrough, 2002; Pretty & McCarthy, 1991; Royal & Rossi, 1996). For example, Royal & Rossi (1996) reported that among workers, PSOC was positively related to organizational attachment, job satisfaction, and role clarity whereas, PSOC was negatively related to intention to leave the organization, role conflict, role overload, and psychological distress (p. 409). Mahan et al. (2002) found that across job status groups, trust covaried with PSOC. Hence, high status (i. e., university faculty) was correlated with less trust/PSOC, while less status (i. e., university staff) was associated with greater trust/PSOC, contrary to other workplace findings (pp. 134-135).

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geographical proximity and regular face-to-face communication. The study provided support for McMillan-Chavis' four dimensions of PSOC, as well as an additional dimension that Obst et al. described as Conscious Identifiction (i. e., an individual is strongly aware of their group membership).

Subsequently, Obst et al. (2002b) expanded their study by focusing on the role of identification (considered to be an important aspect of the PSOC Membership dimension) applied to both relational and geographic communities. Once again, their study

supported the underlying dimensions of PSOC, emphasizing the theoretical applicability of this concept to both community types. However, respondents had higher levels of PSOC with SF fandom compared to their respective geographic community "suggesting that PSOC can be a strong facet of communities of interest" (Obst et al., 2002b, p. 114). Obst et al. (2002b) speculate that this "may be because members choose to belong to such communities and are drawn together through a common interest" (p.114). Another significant finding was that identification plays an important role in PSOC. It relates to and to some degree overlaps with dimensions of PSOC; however, "the centrality aspect of identification is not subsumed within these dimensions" (Obst et al., 2002b, p. 115).

Immigration statistics indicate that since the 1970s, the foreign-born segment of the African population in the United States has increased from 1.3% to 7.8%.

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sizable number of Caribbean nationals. Therefore, it is important to identify literature that specifically connects notions of sense of community with Caribbean populations. Most psychologically oriented literature focused on ethnic and/or racial identity issues or psychosis in relation to Caribbean populations (Biafora, Taylor, Warheit, Zimmerman, & Vega, 1993; Boatswain & Lalonde, 2000; Hickling & Hutchinson, 1999; Lightbourn, 2000; Maharajh, 2000; Wallen, 2001). However, Regis' (1988), Campbell and McLean's (2002), and Chioneso's (1998) research are a few studies that have examined notions of sense of community among immigrant Caribbean groups.

Regis' (1988) study outlined a theoretical framework for the study of sense of community among "English-speaking" Caribbean immigrants. Regis (1988) felt that regardless of Caribbean country of origin, when immigrants live in specific locations in the United States [(e. g., Washington, D. C.), they] develop a psychological sense of community" (p. 57). He defined "the sense of community within an individual towards a group as the degree to which the individual considers himself or herself and the group to be a unit, and so relates to the group as though the group were himself or herself" (Regis, 1988, p. 59). According to Regis (1988), the theoretical framework for the development of Caribbean immigrant sense of community, is predicted by contextual conditions (i. e., migrant ideology, disorganization in the new context, and achievement orientation) and connections (proximity, interaction, identification, and identity dependency) with other Caribbean immigrants (pp. 70-71). Regis' theoretical framework appears to recognize the importance of identification in relation to sense of community and context.

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between health and social capital, defining social capital in terms of citizen participation or 'civic engagement,'" Campbell and McLean (2002) examined the impact of ethnic identity on African Caribbean peoples' likelihood to engage in local community networks (p. 643). Researchers recognized that the greater the extent of a group's sense of

collective agency (i. e., efficacy) and collective identity, the more likely participation in local community networks would occur. Their findings indicated that collective agency among the African Caribbean community was "dispersed and lacking in economic and political power, as well as psychological confidence [italics added]" (Campbell &

McLean, 2002, p. 655). However, a strong and positive collective identity existed within private spheres (i. e., family and friends) of their lives but not within the public spheres of local community networks, work, or politics. Their findings suggest that without a PSOC, collective identity was insufficient to engender collective agency.

Furthermore, Chioneso's (1998) study did not use the term "sense of community," but rather "collectivism" as defined by Kim et al. (1994): "'we' consciousness, collective identity, emotional dependence, group solidarity, . . . [and] group decisions" (p. 6). Chioneso (1998) found that among Jamaican immigrants in Canada, a collectivistic impetus facilitated their adaptation processes, and collectivism was manifested in participants' social networks (e.g., ethnic organizations), identity constructs (e. g., ethnic/nationalistic identity), and transmigrant realities (i.e., immigrants who maintain and develop multiple relationships across nation-state borders) (p. 20). Chioneso's (1998) social networks, identity constructs, and a transmigrant reality dimensions may be comparable to McMillan and Chavis' (1986) Integration and fulfillment of needs,

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emotional dimension is fundamental to each of her collectivism dimensions. If regarded as dimensions of "sense of community," Chioneso's "collectivism" may actually be an expression of PSOC (and/or world view) among Caribbean people that recognizes the importance of group identification.

Apparently, a dynamic interaction exists between PSOC and identification to bring about collective agency. Regis' (1988), Campbell and McLean's (2002), and Chioneso's (1998) research all point to the importance of "identification" as an important factor in understanding PSOC among Caribbean peoples. In addition, Obst et al. (2002a) emphasized that "whereas identification's more affective components and connection with other members are subsumed within McMillan and Chavis' theorized dimensions of PSOC, knowledge and awareness of group membership is a separate and important dimension of PSOC" (p. 98). Given the recognition "identification" received in both the relational community and Caribbean focused bodies of literature, it is necessary to examine organizational identification as a key variable of the relationships of world view and PSOC within relational communities.

Organizational Identification

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high turnover). "Individuals are argued to suffer an existential loss if an organization with which they identify is consumed or merged into a new entity" (Mael & Ashforth, 1992, pp. 103-104). As a result of these types of issues, researchers have recognized the importance of OID and its impact on individual-organizational outcomes (Ashforth & Mael, 1989; Brief & Motowidlo, 1986; Cheney, 1983; Russo, 1998).

OID has been linked to several organizational phenomena such as, job

satisfaction, motivation, employee interaction, and length of service (Cheney, 1983; Lee, 1971; O'Reilly & Chatman, 1986; Testa, 2001). However, for the purposes of this study, the importance of understanding OID lies in its link between organizational members being "psychologically intertwined with the fate of the group," organizational

engagement, and goal achievement (Ashforth & Mael, 1989, p. 21; Cheney, 1983). Many researchers have confused OID with a related construct, organizational commitment. Some authors equate the terms or regard them as synonyms, while others view OID as a dimension of commitment (Mowday, Steers, & Porter, 1979; O'Reilly & Chatman, 1986; Miller, Allen, Casey, & Johnson, 2000; Sass & Canary, 1991).

Several researchers have clarified the conceptual distinctions between identification and commitment. For example, Miller et al. (2000) suggested that commitment refers to individuals' positive affect, intention to remain with the organization, and viewing it as a good place to work; while identification refers to possessing "self-images that are reconstituted in the organization's image and values" (p. 626). Also, Mael and Ashforth (1992) emphasized that "while identification is

organization-specific, commitment . . . may not be. The values and goals of the

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commitment . . . without perceiving a shared destiny with that particular organization" (p. 105). Apparently, when a member identifies with the organization, "he or she would necessarily experience some psychic loss if he or she left the organization" (Mael & Ashforth, 1992, p. 105).

Mael and Ashforth's (1992) conceptualization of commitment versus OID appears to have responded to the call for a rethinking of the commitment-identification distinction (Sass & Canary, 1991). The current study adheres to Mael and Ashforth's OID definition, which they refer to as "identification with a psychological group" (IDPG). That is, IDPG is the "tendency of individuals to perceive themselves and their groups or organizations as intertwined, sharing common qualities and faults, successes and failures, and common destines" (Mael & Ashforth, 1992, p. 813).

The identification/IDPG concept is grounded in social identity theory (SIT) (Ashforth & Mael, 1989; Mael, 1989). According to SIT, one's self-concept comprises of a personal identity (e.g., I like the color green) and social identity (e.g., I am

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1. Enhancing self-esteem: Enabling the individual to internalize the status and successes of the identification object.

2. Transcending self: Oneness with others or other entities, and a sense of interdependence with the fates of others.

3. Meaning: Identification with others or with valued causes can be a source of purpose in life.

4. Belonging: A sense of community based on the perception of a common identity.

5. Raising aspirations: Seeing what others are capable of achieving and identifying with such others provides a person with the motivation to strive and achieve (pp. 199-201).

Given that "organizational identification is the degree to which a member defines him- or herself by the same attributes that he or she believes define the organization" (Dutton et al., 1994, p. 239), OID should be particularly salient within professional organizations. Few studies have examined OID among professional organizations. Lee's (1971) and Russo's (1998) research both analyzed OID among professionals (scientists and journalists, respectively), but in relation to a workplace organization as opposed to a professional organization. Insightful findings were drawn from the former study.

Briefly, Lee (1971) looked at a sample of professional scientists who worked for a federal government agency that specializes in scientific research. Results indicated that scientists with high OID were less inclined to leave the organization and more

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opportunity for achievement in the organization, perceived prestige of the profession, . . . and prestige within the organization" (p. 225).

Based on Lee's (1971) findings and the contention that "individuals tend to seek identities that enhance their self-esteem," (Mael & Ashforth, 2001, p. 198), are both achievement and prestige important characteristics of OID among members of a professional (academic) organization? This is an important question given both the relatively low status attributed to "area studies" within the academy, such as Africana Studies, and subsequently the low prestige afforded multidisciplinary oriented scholars.

Summary

Organizational identification is an active process that satisfies several

psychological and practical needs (Cheney, 1983; Dutton et al., 1994; Mael & Ashforth, 2001). If the "need for an ongoing sense of oneself as an agent in the world whose being and whose actions make a difference in the world" (Bracher, 1999, p. 2) was developed in tandem with community interests, perhaps greater individual and collective

competency and empowerment would come to fruition. CASA has qualities of a "competent" community: commitment, self-other awareness, articulateness,

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CHAPTER III

SUMMARY & RESEARCH QUESTIONS

This study contends that it is important to examine the theoretical conceptPSOC and its ability to influence social change processes. Therefore, this study will explore the interrelationships of psychosocial constructs namely, world view, PSOC, and

organizational identification, and how these constructs may engender organizational engagement within a relational community. This chapter will summarize the focus of the current study and identify both the research questions and hypotheses.

World View

Understanding the multidimensional constructs of world view is an important endeavor that may provide theoretical, research, and practical applications (Brookins, 1994; Graham, 1999; Myers & Speight, 1994; Koltko-Rivera, 2000). However, both a paucity of empirical research on world view exists, especially empirical research that examines African scholars' world views, and a limited number of measures that assess world view.

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to indicate that African diasporic world views are similar to African philosophies. The current study intends to address this observation and to make a contribution to this body of literature from a community psychology perspective.

The Belief Systems Analysis Scale (BSAS) is a relatively new instrument and a promising assessment tool. Researchers have suggested that the BSAS should "continue to be tested through studies that include more culturally diverse populations" (Brookins, 1994, p. 140; Montgomery et al., 1990). Thus, the current study will make a contribution to bodies of literature on the African diaspora that examine world view. Also, this study will test the applicability of the BSAS instrument among African scholars.

Research questions and hypotheses that relate to the world view construct are as follows:

Research Question 1: Is the world view of African scholars consistent with the world view of diverse samples of college students from previous studies?

Hypothesis 1: Participant scores on the BSAS will fall into a higher world view classification range compared to the scores of diverse samples of college students.

Research Question 2: What is the relationship between world view and PSOC?

Hypothesis 2: Scores on the BSAS scale will predict scores on the SCI.

Research Question 3: What is the relationship between world view and OID?

Hypothesis 3: Scores on the BSAS will predict scores on the IDPG.

Psychological Sense of Community

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workplace but few have investigated non-workplace contexts. Obst et. al.'s (2002a) and (2002b) studies explored PSOC within a relational community, similar to CASA. Based on their confirmatory findings of McMillan-Chavis' four dimensions of PSOC, Obst et al. (2002b) postulated that PSOC may be a "strong facet of communities of interest . . . because members choose to belong to such comminutes and are drawn together through a common interest" (p.114). In order to validate this claim, it is important to re-examine this phenomenon among other diverse relational communities of interest.

Another significant finding was that identification, which Obst et al. (2000) described as Conscious Identification (i.e., an individual is strongly aware of their group

membership), plays an important role in PSOC. Apparently, identification relates to and to some degree overlaps with dimensions of PSOC, however, "the centrality aspect of identification is not subsumed within these dimensions" (Obst et al., 2002b, p. 115). Clearly, Obst et al.'s research provides insight and direction into the exploration of PSOC among CASA members. Findings will contribute to the growing PSOC body of

knowledge.

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the United States as a result of growing Caribbean immigration rates (Population Reference Bureau, 2002).

The few studies that have researched sense of community among Caribbean populations indicated three significant points. First, identification influences and is influenced by sense of community and context (Regis, 1988). Second, Campbell and McLean (2002) recognized the necessity of what they described as, "psychological confidence," in Caribbean community networks that wish to achieve economic and political power. Thus, their findings suggested that without a PSOC, collective identity was insufficient to engender collective agency. Third, "collectivism" may actually be an expression of PSOC (and/or world view) among Caribbean people, and group

identification is an inseparable characteristic of collectivism (Chioneso, 1998).

Apparently, a dynamic interaction exists between world view, PSOC, and identification to bring about collective agency. It is necessary to examine these psychosocial constructs within a relational community.

Organizational Identification

Organizational identification (OID) literature primarily focuses on industrial and/or employed organizational environments. OID has been linked to several