Identity Theory in Organisation Studies and Practices
by: Gatot Subroto - PhD Candidate in Project Management, University College London
Humans are complex creatures, and each self is unique. Individuals are inherently multidimensional, containing bundles of attributes and social relations.
Various theories and concepts in identity theory
In sociology, efforts to understand human being is done through understanding identity using various theories, such as social identity theory (Tajfel and Turner, 1979), self-categorisation theory (Turner, 1985), self-identity (Giddens 1991), etc.
In organisation studies literature, we are familiar with concepts of self-identity, social identity, organisation identity. Several approaches to understanding identity also propose by Alvesson & Willmott (2002) as follow:
- Central life interest refers to questions about a person’s – or a group or a social institution’s – feelings and ideas about basic identity concerns and qualities. The question ‘Who am I?’ or ‘What are we?’ calls for a response in terms of some dominant or defining identity.
- Coherence describes a sense of continuity and recognisability over time and situation.
- Distinctiveness means that somebody is definable, by herself and others, as different to someone else. Such a characteristic, sometimes deemed to be unique (e.g. a genius), is shared with others (e.g. men, employed), but still different from others (women, unemployed, retired).
- Direction, it implies what is appropriate, desirable and valued for a specific subject.
5. Social values, that identity is invariably related to self-esteem as aspired-for identity is attributed a positive social meaning.
6. Self-awareness, that identity is also an ‘object’ of self-consciousness.
Self-Identity and Social Identity
Giddens’ (1991) conception of self-identity as an ongoing social process by which individuals craft a sense of self (Gill, 2015). Self-identity is seen as a product of the ongoing interaction of structure with the agency (Giddens, 1991). In this way, identity is not just a personal story but an ongoing struggle between the self-view and external demands (Alvesson, 2010).
Following Giddens, self-identity is conceptualised as a reflexively organised narrative, derived from participation in competing discourses and various experiences, that is productive of a degree of existential continuity and security. ‘Self-identity is not a distinctive trait, or even a collection of traits, possessed by the individual. It is the self as reflexively understood by the person… self-identity is continuity (across time and space) as interpreted reflexively by the agent’ (Giddens, 1991).
Identity work
Identity work refers to individuals’ ongoing attempts to shape a relatively coherent and distinctive personal self-identity, constituting and constituted within social identities in their context of other people, cultures, and discourses (Watson, 2008). Identity work connects external social-identities to internal self-identities (Tajfel and Turner, 1985), that is prompted by social interaction that raises questions of ‘who am I?’ and ‘who are we?’ (Thomas, 2009).
The identity work is not just an ‘internal self-focused process. Instead, it is better understood as a coming together of inward/internal self-reflection and outward/external engagement—through talk and action—with various discursively available social-identities. This recognises social-identities as focal elements (role models) within the discourses to which people make reference in their identity work. Various discourses would contain one or more social-identities or ‘personas’ embraced by individuals as elements of their self-identity (Watson, 2008).
Identity as organisational control
The picture shows a model of identity regulation, identity work and self-identity (Alvesson & Willmott, 2002).
The concept of multidimensionality to Reduce identity complexity
In Management and Organisation Studies literature, Liu et al (2019) present the concept of multidimensionality that combines (1) intersectionality, (2) faultlines, and (3) multiplexity. Multidimensionality is an umbrella term that encapsulates individuals’ bundles of attributes and social relations. The notion of “bundling,” refers to bundles of demographic attributes, psychological attributes, or social relations. So, multidimensionality is conceptualised as bundles of demographic attributes, psychological attributes, and social relations.
- Intersectionality refers to social identities that emerge from the intersection of multiple attributes. Intersectionality identifies multiple factors of advantage and disadvantage. Examples of these factors include gender, caste, sex, race, class, sexuality, religion, disability, physical appearance, and height.
- Faultlines refers to hypothetical dividing lines that split a group into subgroups based on group members’ bundles of demographic and/ or psychological attributes. Psychological attributes are latent characteristics that are learned through interactions over time, such as personality, values, and attitudes.
- Multiplexity refers to the overlap of individuals’ multiple social relations with others in a dyadic relationship (Verbrugge, 1979), which refers to overlapping interpersonal relationships, such as friendship and work-related relations with a peer.
Identity Studies in Work Organisation
Organisational research has mainly explored the effects of identity and multidimensionality on:
- individuals’ attitudes, behaviors, and performance (Work-related attitudes, affect, perceptions, and behaviors)
- organisational performance (e.g., work-related outcomes organisational processes and outcomes
- Critical study (emotional impact, marginalisation, equality, etc.)
Conclusion
Identity theory provides some perspective in understanding the nature of human being. Many theories and concepts are available from various fields of study. Within organisation studies, identity work and identity regulation explain the interaction between management efforts to control the members’ identity and the response of the employees. In the latest development, management and organisation scholars start to combine the concepts of (1) intersectionality, (2) faultlines, and (3) multiplexity into the concept of multidimensionality, which can be applied as a framework of analysis at the individual, organisational, societal, or national levels.
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