Abstract

Recent research has highlighted possible benefits to companies from former employees. This study draws on organizational identification research to explore the factors that affect former employees' supportive behavior toward their former organizations. The analysis of the data obtained from 302 Japanese employees indicated that supportive behavior toward a former organization positively correlates to identification with a former organization and the perceived prestige of the organization. Furthermore, the results also revealed that the relationship between supportive behavior toward a former organization and identification with the organization is moderated by the perceived prestige of the former organization and identification with the present organization. The theoretical contributions of the study are twofold. First, the findings suggest that drawing on organizational identification literature can advance research on the positive influence of employee mobility. Second, the study is the first attempt to address identifications with both the former organization and present organization simultaneously.

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