How members of high identity demand organizations perform identity work relating to organization membership
This study asks: how do members of high identity demand organizations perform identity work relating to their organization membership? Using social identity theory, Kreiner, Hollensbe and Sheep (2006a) defined high identity demand vocations as imposing significant forces on members towards integration with a role. Through an inductive empirical study I respond to their call for studies taking the organization, rather than role, as the referent for identity work. Taking large professional service firms (PSF) as high identity demand organizations, this study explores: how identity work on the social identity is conducted from within multiple identity positions; how identity work responses are combined to address the challenges within multiple identity positions; how the identity work setting influences the performance of identity work; how the concurrent performance of identity work by others supports an individual’s identity work; and the types of events creating difficult identity work for PSF partners. Finally I combine these in considering the reversal of spirals of de-identification.
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