Self‐verification and social dominance in coworker dyads

Abstract

This article conceptualizes the bright and dark sides of self‐verification processes among dyads of coworkers from different social groups. We argue that these processes depend on coworkers' social dominance orientation (SDO), which determines whether they hold dominant, subordinate, or egalitarian social identities. The proposed typology identifies four types of dyads. In stormy dyads, the member of the dominant social group has a high SDO, the member of the subordinate social group has a low SDO, and self‐verification is associated with reciprocal covert (and occasionally overt) coworker antagonism. In conforming dyads, both members have high SDO, and self‐verification leads to covert antagonistic behaviors from the dominant member. In egalitarian dyads, both members have low SDO, and self‐verification leads to long‐term affective and instrumental coworker support. Finally, in compassionate dyads, the member of the dominant social group has a low SDO, the member of the subordinate social group has a high SDO, and coworker support is instrumental. We examine the implications of this typology for our understanding of self‐verification processes in the context of diversity among coworker relationships.