Pedro Schuch Mallmann Independent Study on Identities with Dr.

Gordon Dehler 04/04/2007 Understanding Identity and some of its Implications to Workers and the Workplace

Introduction

This paper will e plain the meanin! o" what identity is# the processes it is related to# and how it relates to the wor$place. %e"ore enterin! in the main topic o" this# it is important to say that this is a topic in &o!ue due to its implication "or mana!ers. 'ccordin! to 'l(ert )*++,# p. -./ 01the a(sence o" a!reement a(out de"inition and measurement is what ma$es the topic so "ertile2. This statement !i&es another important reason "or identity (ein! a main topic today/ the "act that academics ha&e di""erent perspecti&es on a de"inition o" identity. 3onse4uently# it is hard to !i&e a clear de"inition on what identity is and to measure the intensity o" the di""erent process related to it. The main aspect a(out identity is that it re"lects one5s sel"6 it shows how one di""erentiates onesel" "rom others. ' person has di""erent roles# which are related to the di""erent parts o" one5s li"e )"ather# employee# son# 3hristian# etc.# (ut has only one identity# which is the sum and interactions o" all these roles. 7oles are di""erent "rom identity. It is important that this (e clear to the reader. 7oles are one5s duties and e pected (eha&iors as a conse4uence o" a social status )student# secretary# priest# etc... 8or e ample# my identity is that I am Pedro Schuch Mallmann# son o" my parents# (orn and raised in Porto 'le!re# %rasil# "ormer (as$et(all player# "ormer (oy scout# "ormer yo!in# 'nchieta school alumni# %usiness School in the 9ni&ersidade 8ederal do 7io

Grande do Sul student# concerned with health# with stron! &alues attached to my personality# (oy"riend# and all other characteristics that de"ine mysel" and how I di""erentiate "rom others. The sum o" all these characteristics is my identity. Identity tends to (e always coherent6 in other words# it tends to ma$e sense with the indi&idual5s di""erent roles. %ut it is not restricted to persons# it is also present in social !roups# (e it an old !roup o" "riends or a company. This is called social identity and it di""ers "rom personal identity in that it is composed (y any num(er o" persons# each with his or her identity. Then# we must tal$ a(out the process o" identi"ication# which is what happens when a person incorporates aspects o" the social !roup into his or hersel". Durin! this o&erlap (etween the indi&idual and social identity# occurs a process o" depersonali:ation o" the sel". ;hen this occurs# the indi&idual reduces his or her uni4ueness in the identity to incorporate aspects o" the social identity# (ecomin! more similar with the others that are part o" the same or!ani:ation. <ow# it is easier to e plain why identity and the process o" identi"ication are important "or companies. Throu!h the understandin! o" this concept mana!ers can impro&e wor$ers5 satis"action and# there"ore# wor$ers5 loyalty and commitment towards the company. Mana!ers in countries li$e 3hina and India# "or e ample# could impro&e their $nowled!e on this "ield to try to reduce wor$er turno&er. This is ama:in!ly hi!h i" compared to other countries due to the lac$ o" s$illed pro"essionals# that "orces la(or demand up. %ecause o" this# wor$ers in these countries are chan!in! where they wor$ due hi!her o""ers in a "aster pace than in other countries# and they show less loyalty as well. There"ore# the $nowled!e on how to ma$e wor$ers5 (ond with the company to

(ecome stron!er will help companies to mana!e this situation. This $nowled!e is important not only in 3hina and India# rather in all countries too. 'l(ert )*++,. (rin!s other reasons "or the importance o" the study and understandin! o" identity. =e says that the current chan!es the world is "acin! !eopolitically )the collapse o" 9SS7# the "all o" the %erlin ;all# the e pansion o" the >9# the increase in the num(er o" re!ional (loc$s# etc. ma$e it harder to clearly comprehend the concept o" national sel"?de"inition# which is part o" one5s identity. In terms o" or!ani:ations# he says that !lo(ali:ation raises the 4uestion o" what happens with an employee that identi"ied with the company when he is downsi:ed. In a recent paper "or one o" my classes )Mana!ement and @r!ani:ational %eha&ior in the 3olle!e o" 3harleston# tau!ht (y Dr. Dehler.# I "ound that employees !oin! throu!h these situation tend to present post?traumatic stress disorder# which is a psycholo!ical pro(lem "aced (y many war &eterans# a(used women# and people who went throu!h li"e threatenin! situations )Aru!er# *+++..

Identification Process with Organizations

7esearch has (een done to understand how employees identi"y with the or!ani:ation# and one theory is that employees5 identi"ication stren!th )how much o" the or!ani:ation identity one incorporates into one5s identity. depends on two &aria(les/ *. their (elie"s on what 0is distincti&e# central# and endurin! a(out the or!ani:ation# is de"ined as percei&ed or!ani:ational identity2 )Dutton# Du$erich# B =ar4uail# *++4# p.

244.6 2. their (elie"s on how outsiders percei&e the or!ani:ation# what is called the construed e ternal ima!e )Dutton# Du$erich# B =ar4uail# *++4.. Percei&ed or!ani:ational identity a""ects the identi"ication with the company# that can (e said as 0the de!ree to which a mem(er de"ines him or hersel" (y the same attri(utes that he or she (elie&es de"ine the or!ani:ation2 )Dutton# Du$erich# B =ar4uail# *++4# p. 2-+.. This process is stron! when either the person5s identity as an or!ani:ation mem(er is more salient than his or her personal identity# or when the person percei&es the or!ani:ation identity as ha&in! the same characteristics as one de"ines one5s sel". This perception is &ery personal# &aryin! "rom employee to employee# and it doesn5t ha&e to match the or!ani:ation social identity. The construed e ternal ima!e has a hu!e impact on mem(er identi"ication with the or!ani:ation. I" mem(ers consider that the company has a !ood e ternal ima!e in society# they are li$ely to see mem(ership as positi&e# and conse4uently to create stron!er (onds with the or!ani:ation. @n the other hand# an or!ani:ation5s ima!e can also ha&e a ne!ati&e impact on employees. I" the company is percei&ed (y its mem(ers as ha&in! a poor e ternal ima!e due to non?en&ironmental attitudes such as pollutin! the ocean# "or e ample# they may "ace ne!ati&e personal outcomes such as depression and stress. @utsiders Cud!e the or!ani:ation (ased on its pu(lic reputation. Inside the company# employees interpret and in"er this Cud!ment and (ased on it they adapt the construed e ternal ima!e )how they percei&e others see the company.. I"# due to the identi"ication process one starts to rely on only one source o" identi"ication to de"ine his or her sel"?concept and does not consider the other sources o" identi"ication# it can (e dan!erous# as this will create a situation o" dependency. In the

paper (e"ore mentioned "or one my courses )Arue!er# *+++.# I "ound that when indi&iduals rely on only one source o" satis"action and identity they are more li$ely to !o into serious stress"ul situations# and e&en more when they "ace undesira(le outcomes in this source# (ecause it dama!e their (elie"s. @nce the sel"?concept is completely dependent on one source# i" there isn5t the e pected outcome it will (e a !reat disappointment# and the person may "eel lost. 8or e ample# ima!ine an employee )let5s call him Ted. who was Cust hired (y a company a"ter he !raduated an M%' pro!ram. The company presents itsel" as a place where employees wor$ as a "amily# 0such a co:y en&ironment2 he thin$s. Initially Ted completely "ocus in the wor$# he lo&es it there. =e is so committed to the or!ani:ation that he does not !o out with his "riends as o"ten as he used to. =e sociali:ed pretty much only with wor$mates. '"ter two or three years he starts to shine in the company# and then he percei&es that the co:y en&ironment is Cust a "aDade# and a lot o" his wor$mates really want to put him down now that he is a threat to their career. %ut Ted considers that some employees mi!ht li$e this (ut not the company# and he is more and more committed# he was told that i" he continues li$e this he can (e 3>@ one day. ' year later he is runnin! "or a promotion that is pretty much certain# (ut in a meetin! he disa!rees with his (oss in an important proCect. Ted is ri!ht# (ut the (oss did not li$e (ein! pro&ed wron! in "ront o" top mana!ers. %ecause o" this Ted lost the promotion and is actually demoted. Ted is completely lost a"ter this6 he does not understand how this could happen# how the company let the (oss do this to him. =e !oes into depression and "rom now the situation only !ets worst (ecause he considered the company his li"e and he was (etrayed. %ecause

o" the company he lost contact with his "riends and did not !et in&ol&ed in other acti&ities# he considered that there was no space "or him in the world anymore. Dutton# Du$erich and =ar4uail )*++4. de&eloped a model to e plain co!niti&e aspects related to employee identi"ication with the or!ani:ation. In this model they e plain the percei&ed or!ani:ational identity and the construed e ternal ima!e attracti&eness and how they are related with identi"ication. They also e plain how these concepts can (e a""ected. Three principles they (elie&e a""ect the percei&ed or!ani:ational ima!e/

Sel"?continuity F i" the or!ani:ation ima!e is percei&ed as allowin! employees to $eep (ein! themsel&es it will (e more attracti&e to them# as they will ha&e more "reedom to e press themsel&es. This happens (ecause when or!ani:ation5s ima!e o&erlaps the employee5s ima!e# it is easier to process and understand. It is important "or people to ha&e a sense o" inte!rity and internal coherence. There"ore# employees will (e more com"orta(le at wor$ as they can (e true to themsel&es# as they don5t ha&e to pretend (ein! somethin! they do not are when wor$in!.

Sel"?distincti&eness F states that i" the or!ani:ation ima!e will enhance the mem(er5s distincti&eness in relation to employees o" other companies# than the company ima!e is attracti&e to employees and they will want to identi"y with the company.

Sel"?enhancement F i" mem(ers percei&e that throu!h identi"yin! with the or!ani:ation their sel"?esteem increases# than they are more li$ely to identi"y with the company.

%esides these three principles# it is important to consider the len!th o" contact with the or!ani:ation. The lon!er the employee has contact with the company# the more li$ely he or she is to stron!ly identi"y with it. 's the identi"ication (ecomes stron!er# it !enerates a "eelin! o" pride and ownership within employees. 'nother consideration is that identity is a constant e&ol&in! concept6 meanin! that one5s identity chan!es due to his or her e periences in li"e. The same three principles apply "or the construed e ternal ima!e# which pro&ides more than Cust in"ormation on how others see the or!ani:ation. It actually helps or!ani:ation mem(ers understand how others see them (ecause o" their mem(ership in the or!ani:ation. 's in the percei&ed or!ani:ation ima!e# sel"?continuity plays a maCor role determinin! or!ani:ation attracti&eness. I" the construed e ternal ima!e is percei&ed as similar to how one sees one5s sel"# then the or!ani:ation is more attracti&e to this person. The same happens with sel"?distincti&eness6 i" one considers that the or!ani:ation is percei&ed as uni4ue in some way# then the or!ani:ation is more attracti&e. 8inally# the sel"?enhancement principle a!ain is the same6 as lon! as one understands the or!ani:ation ima!e as a source o" sel"?esteem# the or!ani:ation is more attracti&e and one will (e more li$ely to identi"y with it. These three principles ser&e to understand or!ani:ation5s construed e ternal ima!e attracti&eness6 and the !reater the latter# the stron!er the identi"ication.

Identi"ication is a""ected (y the &isi(ility o" a person5s a""iliation with the or!ani:ation. The more &isi(le the association with an or!ani:ation is# the more people are reminded o" their or!ani:ational mem(ership. %ecause o" this# the !reater the &isi(ility# the more the person will (e e pected to (eha&e accordin! to the or!ani:ation ima!e# which is how others percei&e the or!ani:ation6 there"ore# the stron!er the relationship (etween a mem(er5s identi"ication with the or!ani:ation and the attracti&eness o" (oth the percei&ed or!ani:ational ima!e and the construed e ternal ima!e. In terms o" the or!ani:ation# mem(ers5 identi"ication results in employees that attach their sense o" sur&i&al with the or!ani:ation sur&i&al. The main conse4uences o" this are/ *. mem(ers cooperation is increased and competition with nonmem(ers is also increased6 and 2. mem(ers will ma$e a (i!!er e""ort in tas$s that contri(ute to cowor$ers and to the or!ani:ation. Social identi"ication theory# which is one theory on identity and identi"ication# e plains that when people percei&e others as sharin! the same social identity this creates an in?!roup (ias )Dutton# Du$erich# B =ar4uail# *++4# p. 2E4.. This ma$es cooperation amon! mem(ers more li$ely due to a hi!her sense o" in?!roup trust and reciprocity# a hi!her social attraction toward in?!roup mem(ers# and the possi(ility o" a "a&ora(le ima!e o" the or!ani:ation to the person and others.

Boundaries between Oneself and the Organization

@ne cannot tal$ a(out identity and not mention the (oundaries that e ist (etween a personal identity and other identities# and the (oundaries that e ist inside one identity#

(alancin! the di""erent components o" it. The "act that the process o" identi"ication may (e ta$en too "ar# resultin! in a dan!erous situation "or the or!ani:ational mem(er# is a reason to !et into the study o" the (oundaries that we# as persons# ha&e to protect our own identity and sense o" sel". %oundaries in an identity "ramewor$ are not "i ed# (ut are socially constructed and prone to rene!otiation )Areiner# =ollens(e# and Sheep# 200G(.. @ne important concept in (oundaries is permea(ility# it 0determines whether or not aspects o" one domain will (e inte!rated or se!mented with aspects o" another domain2 )p. *-20.. %oundaries can (e either intra? or inter?identity. Intra?identity (oundaries are related to the (oundaries inside one5s identity. That means that its permea(ility states whether one5s di""erent roles tend to o&erlap or not. In other words/ i" the identity will (e constructed with di""erent roles ha&in! in"luence on all other roles# or i" the person will try to $eep these roles separate. 8or e ample# thin$ o" an employee who is also a parent6 she may ta$e pro"essional issues home or not# and may ta$e personal issues to the o""ice or not. %y permittin! this o&erlap# one is allowin! one role to ha&e in"luence in the other. This o&erlap depends on the (oundary permea(ility# the more permea(le the (oundary the more o&erlappin!. Inter?identity (oundary permea(ility determines how one5s identity will (e in"luenced (y the social identity !roups one is in contact with. Areiner# =ellens(e# and Sheep )200G(. de&eloped a model to e plain (oundaries dynamics. In this model# dynamics occurrin! in inter? and intra?identity (oundaries are the same# the di""erence is that in inter?identity (oundaries they are tal$in! a(out dynamics amon! persons and or!ani:ations6 on the other hand# in intra?identity (oundary they are tal$in! a(out dynamics within onesel" or one or!ani:ation. The "irst $ind o"

dynamics is re"erred as within?identity and wor$?sel" intrusion# and it occurs when one (oundary is percei&ed as (ein! too permea(le. ;hen this happens# indi&iduals or the or!ani:ation percei&e another identity as ha&in! a (i!!er role than is desired. In a situation where employees percei&e the or!ani:ational identity intrudin! on their identity# they mi!ht consider that the or!ani:ation is demandin! them to !i&e up a &alua(le part o" themsel&es in order to (e part o" the or!ani:ation. The second $ind o" dynamics is within?identity and wor$?sel" distance# which happens when a particular identity (oundary is percei&ed as too se!mented or not permea(le. In intra?identity dynamics it is a conse4uence o" a perception o" what someone would li$e to (e and the distance o" the desired sel" and the actual one. This can happen in an or!ani:ational conte t# in which some employees want the or!ani:ation to pursue a di""erent o(Cecti&e than the one (ein! pursued at the moment. In wor$?li"e dynamics it is a result o" wor$ers desirin! a (i!!er role in their relation with the or!ani:ation. The third and last $ind o" dynamics is within?identity and wor$?sel" (alance# which results in complementariness "rom the di""erent parts interactin!. In the intra? identity dynamics it is the di""erent roles a person has complementin! one another# or an or!ani:ation5s di""erent aspects amon! its culture complementin! one another. In inter? identity dynamics it is a situation in which (oth the person and or!ani:ation complement each other. %esides the third dynamic# either intrusion or distance is seen as insta(ility in either intra? or inter?identity (oundaries# and (ecause o" that# when those situations happen# the ones in&ol&ed in them are more li$ely to pursue identity chan!e.

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Finding the Balance between Life and Work

Areiner# =ellens(e# and Sheep )200Ga. in research conducted with >piscopal priests# which is a &ery identity demandin! acti&ity# came up with theories on how this could end up a""ectin! one5s psycholo!ical health. They concluded that (alance is achie&ed when an indi&idual is a(le to "eel as (ein! part o" an or!ani:ation and at same time see him or hersel" as ha&in! his or her own identity as a person. ;hen a person has a (alanced wor$?li"e situation# it is not necessary to enact tactics to increase assimilation or distincti&eness# which is necessary when there is a situation o" im(alance. In a situation as priests "ace# it is easier to ha&e identity issues as many percei&e their role as a callin! "rom someone or somethin! !reater6 in the case o" priests a callin! "rom God. @ther "orces help to create im(alanced situations# "or e ample# people ha&e e pectations on how one should (eha&e# (e that (ecause o" the or!ani:ations construed e ternal ima!e or the social class construed e ternal ima!e. 'nother "orce is the stron! situations that some acti&ities demand. Tal$in! a(out the case o" their research# the authors mentioned how priests are e pected to help parishioners in "unerals# "or e ample. The authors noted that people use di""erent tactics to try to "ind (alance. In their model# they di&ided the tactics in three/ tactics to di""erentiate the indi&idual "rom the or!ani:ation# tactics to increase the inte!ration o" the indi&idual with the or!ani:ation# and tactics that wor$ (oth ways. The "irst !roup o" tactics/ to di""erentiate the indi&idual "rom the or!ani:ation6 is composed o" "i&e tactics. @ne o" them is separatin! role "rom identity. This means that

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the indi&idual limits his or her role in the social or!ani:ation to the social or!ani:ation situations. =e or she does not ma$e that a de"inin! part o" his or her identity. ' second tactic is to see the role in the social or!ani:ation as not so in need o" your person (y settin! limits. In other words# to reali:e that one cannot try to do e&erythin! (y onesel". 'nother tactic is to create an identity hierarchy# throu!h which the indi&idual will (e a(le to set priorities and not let secondary issues ha&e a (i!!er role than he or she would li$e. ' "ourth tactic is to enact ephemeral roles. In other words# they per"orm acti&ities that ha&e no relation with the acti&ity they ha&e in the social or!ani:ation# so that they can escape "rom the pressure. The last di""erentiation tactic is pretty similar to the "irst one )separatin! role "rom identity./ some indi&iduals simply 0"lip the on/o"" switch2# meanin! that they ha&e "ound ways to (e and not to (e themsel&es or the social mem(er. Tactics that wor$ on inte!ratin! the indi&idual with the or!ani:ation# which "orm the second !roup# wor$ in di""erent ways. The "irst one is mer!in! role and identity# which means that the indi&idual does not try to consider the role as Cust one part o" his li"e# (ut actually as part o" whom he or she is. I consider this tactic $ind o" dan!erous# as it may (e a shortcut to o&eridenti"ication i" the indi&idual does not (alance how much he or she is !oin! to mer!e. @ther tactic is in"usin! sel"?aspects into tas$# which is a way o" ma$in! the role more appealin! to one?sel" as one can "eel more in tune with it. The last inte!ratin! tactic is to cast sel" as em(lem# meanin! that one sees him or hersel" as part o" the social or!ani:ation# as a sym(ol o" it. The third !roup o" tactics is composed o" the ones that wor$ on (oth ways )in cases o" lac$ o" identi"ication or o&eridenti"ication.. @ne o" the tactics is see$in! re"reshment# ta$in! a (rea$. It is an important "or one to rest and# there"ore# (e a(le to

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per"orm his or her duty (etter. ' second tactic is in&ol&in! other people# which is a way to help one identi"ies with the acti&ity and at the same time (e a(le to separate him or hersel" "rom the per"ormed role. The last tactic# which wor$ed &ery well "or the population su(Cected to the research# is tappin! spiritual resources )prayin!# meditatin!# etc.# which is a way "or one to (e with him or hersel" and no one else.

onclusion

In this paper I ha&e presented a way to understand identity and the process o" identi"ication. Throu!h the in"ormation pro&ided one can understand that identity is a co!niti&e aspect o" sel"# an aspect that we do not ha&e total control o&er# and in tryin! to control it we would (e insertin! this into our identity. This happens (ecause identity is a conse4uence o" what we are and what we do. It is &ery important "or mana!ers to understand how this happens# and to ha&e $nowled!e on the &aria(les in&ol&ed in it )(oundaries and situations that lead to im(alances.# so that they are a(le to (etter mana!e their employees and to increase cooperation within the or!ani:ation.

!eference" 'l(ert# S. *++,. The de"inition and metade"inition o" identity. In D. '. ;hetten B P. 3. God"rey )>ds..# Identity in organizations" Building theory through con#ersations" * F *-. Thousand @a$s# 3'/ Sa!e. Dutton# H. >.# Du$erich# H. M.# B =ar4uail# 3. I. *++4. @r!ani:ational ima!es and mem(er identi"ication. $dministrati#e %cience &uarterly' Iol. -+/ 2-+ F 2G-.

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=o!!# M. '.# Terry# D. H. 2000. Social identity and sel"?cate!ori:ation processes in or!ani:ational conte ts. $cademy of (anagement !e#iew' Iol. 2E# <o *# *2* F *40. Areiner# G. >. # B =ollens(e# >. 3.# B Sheep# M. J. 200Ga. ;here is the 0me2 amon! the 0we2K Identity wor$ and the search "or optimal (alance. $cademy of (anagement )ournal' Iol. 4+# <o. E# *0-* F *0E7. Areiner# G. >. # B =ollens(e# >. 3.# B Sheep# M. J. 200G(. @n the ed!e o" identity/ %oundary dynamics at the inter"ace o" indi&idual and or!ani:ational identities. *uman !elation' Iol. E+ )*0./ *-*E F *-4*. Aru!er# Pamela. *+++. Betrayed by Work' 8ast 3ompany. Issue 2+# p. *,2. Sluss# D. M.# B 'sh"orth# %. >. 2007. 7elational identity and identi"ication/ de"inin! oursel&es throu!h wor$ relationships. $cademy of (anagement !e#iew' Iol. -2# <o. *# + F -2.

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