Identity ambiguity and the promises and practices of hybrid e-HRM project teams

Abstract

The role of IS project team identity work in the enactment of day-to-day relationships with their internal clients is under-researched. We address this gap by examining the identity work undertaken by an electronic human resource management (e-HRM) 'hybrid' project team engaged in an enterprise-wide IS implementation for their multi-national organisation. Utilising social identity theory, we identify three distinctive, interrelated dimensions of project team identity work (project team management, team 'value propositions' (promises) and the team's 'knowledge practice'). We reveal how dissonance between two perspectives of e-HRM project identity work (clients' expected norms of project team's service and project team's expected norms of themselves) results in identity ambiguity. Our research contributions are to identity studies in the IS project management, HR and hybrid literatures and to managerial practice by challenging the assumption that hybrid experts are the panacea for problems associated with IS projects.

Applying Turner’s Three-Process Theory of Power to the Study of Power Relations in a Troubled Information Systems Implementation

“…This has been proven useful in similar research (Schwarz and Watson, 2005;van Dijk and van Dick, 2009;Tansley et al, 2013). Turner's (2005) theoretical lens formed a basis for understanding the inter-and intra-group phenomena and highlighting the thinking and action of individuals such as how the 'change champions' made possible collective products through psychological processes to facilitate the IS implementation and institutionalisation.…”

Virtual Fitness: investigating team commitment and post-pandemic virtual workout perceptions

“…The social identity theory (SIT) states that a person’s identity is linked to their group ( Tajfel and Turner, 1986 ). The theory has been popularly used to examine online group behaviour in the context of online gaming ( Sharma et al, 2021c ), electronic project teams ( Tansley et al, 2013 ), social media ( Shih et al, 2017 ), microblogging ( Jiang et al, 2016 ), virtual communities ( Shih et al, 2017 ), addiction and health ( Bathish et al, 2017 ). The in-groups derive social norms and guide desired and normative behaviour of individuals ( Tajfel and Turner, 1986 ).…”

Working Paper Series: Innovation Enablers

“…Drawing from this research, we can see that they exposed an unfamiliar perspective, whereby, utilising effective information technology competencies can allow healthcare organisations to overcome recognised limitations in both knowledge stickiness. Therefore, provisioning a higher degree of innovation becomes realised (Chien Hsing, Shu-Chen, & Hsin-Hui, 2013;Gausdal & Nilsen, 2011;Oborn, Barrett, & Racko, 2013;Tuan, 2008) and 'knowledge ambiguity' (Fulop, 2012;Stetler & Magnusson, 2015;Tansley, Huang, & Foster, 2013;Windecker et al, 2015). However, information technology is not the only solution needed to support knowledge transfer in this environment.…”