Identity Work in Organizations

As research on identity has expanded exponentially, the research on identity work has followed suit. Scholars of identity work focus on the underlying dynamics of identity with the recognition that one’s sense of self at a given time and in a given context is the result of an effortful, though not necessarily conscious, identity construction process. As research on identity work has grown, scholars have identified a wide array of ways in which individuals develop, grow, change, and exit their various identities. Further, while presumably all identities may be worked upon, some specific identities—such as gender, entrepreneur, manager, or professional—have been emphasized in the existing organizational literature. In addition, while, up to this point, the emphasis in the identity work research has typically been identifying the nature of changes to the self, a growing body of literature points to the individual, relational, and organizational implications of identity work.