Managing Identity: Identity Work, Personal Predicaments and Structural Circumstances

Abstract

Social science research can play a valuable role in enabling people to understand how their personal predicaments relate to the broader structures and historical circumstances in which they arise. This was argued by Wright Mills (1970, originally 1959) with his concept of the sociological imagination, a notion of considerable relevance to the identity issues which arise in relation to organizational involvement. Using a rare combination of ethnographic, autobiographical and interview research material, a close examination is made of two managers' identity work and the part played in this by their involvement in one specific organization in particular structural and historical circumstances. In the course of carrying out this study the concept of `identity work' has been developed and refined. This incorporates a clear analytical distinction between internal personal `self-identities' and external discursive `social-identities' with social-identities being seen as a link or bridge between socially available discourses and self-identities. `Managerial identities' take their place among the multiplicity of social-identities to which any particular manager may relate in both their `inward facing' and their `outward facing' identity work.

(Re)Constructing Career Strategies After Experiencing Involuntary Job Loss

“…The structure and rules, however, are not permanent and external, as they are sustained and modified by human behaviour. These actions are constrained and enabled by structures, which are, in turn, produced and reproduced by actions (Creed et al, 2010;Watson, 2008). The four individuals, to a greater or lesser extent, as evidenced from their transitions within the career (re)construction envisionment/enactment matrix, support this duality of structure.…”

“…Identity work (Giddens, 1991;Watson, 2008) is evident in the stories and strategies rendered in this article. Elizabeth, Isobel and Maura have transformed their career identity along the envisionment and/or the enactment dimensions of the career (re)construction matrix, and for Oliver, his situation has provided him with an opportunity to reaffirm his career orientations (Mulhall, 2012).…”

“…Narrating stories encourages individuals to reconstruct the equilibrium between what they were, what they are aspiring to and the demands of their environment (Bujold, 2004;Watson, 2008). The relevance of narrative inquiry for careers research is in its ability to assist people to make sense of their experiences, decisions and transitions (Blustein et al, 2013;Ezzy, 2000).…”

“…Similar to other narrative studies on identity work rendering a small number of stories (e.g. Creed, DeJordy, & Lok, 2010;Ezzy, 2000;Watson, 2008), the aim is not to generalize the findings to a wider population. The objective is to gain insight into the complex nature of how this quartet (re)constructs their career identity when they reflect on the outcome of their career experiences (Heslin, 2005) following a period of employment discontinuity (Weick, 1995).…”

“…In doing this, the individual is likely to engage in identity work. The article draws on Watson's (2008) usage of identity work, defined as the mutually constitutive processes whereby people strive to shape a relatively coherent and distinctive notion of personal identity and struggle to come to terms with and, within limits, to influence the various social-identities which pertain to them in the various milieu in which they live their lives. (p. 129) Following a fateful moment, Giddens (1991) maintains that people utilize expert systems, seek advice, carry out research and develop new skills.…”