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Understanding Identity and Organizations
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Understanding Identity and Organizations



December 2011 | 216 pages | SAGE Publications Ltd

An understanding of identity is fundamental to a complete understanding of organizational life. While conventional management textbooks touch on in-groups, cohesion and discrimination, Understanding Identity and Organizations offers instead a deeper, more nuanced understanding of why people, groups and organizations behave the way they do. With conceptions of identity perhaps less stable than they have ever been, Willmott, Whittle and Kenny make complex theoretical issues accessible to the reader through the use of lively examples from popular culture. The authors present an overview of the key issues, as well as an examination of cutting-edge research and topical forces currently redefining identity, such as globalization, the fair trade movement and online identities.

This text is a succinct, relevant and exciting overview of the field of identity studies as it relates to business and management and applied social sciences, and is an invaluable resource to undergraduate and postgraduate students of management on any course that has an identity component.

 
Introduction to Understanding Identity
 
Introduction
 
Identity vs Personality
 
Identity on the Management Agenda: A Brief History
 
How Do Individual and Organizational Identities Interact?
 
Introducing the Book
 
Suggested Reading
 
Theoretical Perspectives on Identity
 
Introduction
 
Social Identity Theory (SIT)
 
Psychoanalysis
 
Foucauldian Perspective
 
Symbolic Interactionism
 
Narrative Approaches
 
Micro-Interactional Approaches
 
Application Exercise - The Case of Frances
 
Conclusion
 
Suggested Reading
 
Sample Exam/Assignment Questions
 
Diversity and Identity
 
Introduction
 
Identity as a Social Category
 
Identity as a Process of Social Construction
 
Conclusion
 
Suggested Reading
 
Sample Exam/Assignment Questions
 
Occupational Identities
 
Introduction
 
The Meaning of Work
 
Occupational Cultures and Boundaries
 
Managerial Identities
 
Professional Identities
 
The Dirty, the Deviant and the Degrading
 
Unpaid Work and Unemployment
 
When I Grow Up I Want To Be …
 
Conclusion
 
Suggested Reading
 
Sample Exam/Assignment Questions
 
Identity and Organizational Control
 
Overview and Introduction
 
Bringing Identity to Work
 
Managing Culture
 
Managing Identities
 
Identification and Dis-identification
 
Conclusion
 
Suggested Reading
 
Sample Exam/Assignment Questions
 
Organizational Identity
 
Introduction
 
Organizational Identity: What Is It and Why Does It Matter?
 
Organizational Identity - Properties or Beliefs?
 
Types of Organizational Identity
 
Power in (and of) Organizational Identity
 
Conclusion
 
Suggested Reading
 
Sample Exam/Assignment Questions
 
Virtual Identity
 
Overview and Introduction
 
Competing Perspectives: Technological Determinism and Social Constructionism
 
New Connections and Identity: Online Communities
 
Virtual Identity, Power and Control
 
Teleworking and Identity
 
Conclusion
 
Suggested Reading
 
Sample Exam/Assignment Questions
 
The Future of Identity
 
Introduction
 
Strong Attachments and Totalizing Workplaces?
 
Weak Attachments and the 'Flexible' Firm
 
New Public Management
 
Identity and the Global, Virtual Firm
 
The Future of Diversity
 
Conclusion
 
Suggested Reading
 
Glossary of Terms

'As it elicited many thought provoking moments, before I was halfway through this book I had recommened it to a Masters degree student writing their dissertation (they reported it was fascinating) and used a variety of concepts in sessions (e.g organisational culture / leadership) facilitated in my role as a Staff Development Adviser...I would have no hesitation in endorsing this lively yet solid text to FE and HE students'
John Trantom
Action Learning: Research & Practice


'Identity is an extremely popular, but frequently misunderstood and misrepresented, concept in organization studies. This fantastic book is a much needed and timely antidote to this problem. It provides a thoughtful, accessible and thorough treatment of the phenomenon. It is an absolute "must read" for anyone who professes to be interested in studying or researching identity and organization's
Professor Cliff Oswick
Professor in Organization Theory, Head of the Faculty of Management, Cass Business School, City University


'Organizations are not just places we go to make money, but places where we make ourselves too. This helpful book explores the ways in which identities are worked upon, and show how many of our ideas about "who we are" emerge from our lives at work'
Professor Martin Parker
Warwick Business School


'I am impressed by this accessible and thoroughly scholarly text. It introduces students to highly complex theoretical ideas in a way that is immediately relevant to everyday organizational life. I look forward to teaching with this book'
Professor Samantha Warren
University of Essex


'Understanding Identity and Organizations maps the territory laid out by identity research as it applies to organizations and points to new areas of interest and concern. An essential guide for those entering the field of organizational identity studies as well as providing an overview of the field for seasoned identity researchers'
Mary Jo Hatch
Professor Emerita of Banking and Commerce, University of Virginia


'Understanding Identity and Organization gives us for the first time a complete and sophisticated overview of the key topics and debates around identity at work. In a lively, accessible and always scholarly fashion, the authors have captured the fundamental importance of this often neglected aspect of employment. It is essential reading for anyone studying organizations today'
Professor Peter Fleming
Queen Mary College, University of London


This is an essential book for making sense of the theme of identity in organizations, the key issues, dimensions and approaches, as well as how to do research on it. It is essencial for a global overview at undergraduate level, and for more detailed explorations at masters level.

Professor Manuel Graca
Faculdade De Economia, University of Porto
October 6, 2021

Nice and well-written text. Not 100% relevant to my module.

Dr Alexandros Psychogios
Hull University Business School, The University of Hull
March 11, 2015

Is is too much detailed on specify subjects for our aims.
It is very well written and rich in its perspectives.

Mr Jouke Post
Human resource management, Saxion Universities of Prof Education
December 4, 2013

Will be adopted as supplemental reading for the new second year marketing course being launched next year

Dr Andrew Whalley
School of Management, Royal Holloway, University of London
October 30, 2013

A brilliant book that focuses on issues relating to identity within an organisational context. Well written and extremely informative!

Mr Amer Shehzad
Lancashire Business School, University of Central Lancashire
February 26, 2013

A brilliant book that focuses on issues relating to identity. Well written and extremely informative!

Mr Amer Shehzad
Lancashire Business School, University of Central Lancashire
February 26, 2013

Excellent and thorough analysis of key aspects of identity theory in general and perspective on identity in particular.

Dr SEAMUS KELLY
Faculty of Business, Dublin Institute of Technology
February 13, 2013

This is a fantastic book, offering a comprehensive overview of identity and organizations. A pleasure to read, with effective signposting to other sources. The book covers the key thinkers, issues and concepts and, unlike some texts, it looks to the future directions of this field.

Ms Victoria Pagan
Business School, Newcastle University
September 25, 2012

This is a very strong book to support the significant topic of identity in the wider subject of organisaitonal behaviour. Very useful for assigned essay work and student research in this area.

Pauric O'Rourke
Business School, Limerick Institute of Technology
May 11, 2012

Sample Materials & Chapters

Chapter One


Kate Kenny

Andrea Whittle

Andrea Whittle (BSc(Hons), PhD) is Professor of Management and Organization Studies at Newcastle University Business School. Before joining Newcastle University in 2013, she held a Chair in Organization Studies at Cardiff University. Andrea holds a first class honours degree in Natural Science from Durham University and gained her PhD in Sociology from Brunel University at the Centre for Research into Innovation, Culture and Technology (CRICT). After an ESRC funded post-doctoral research fellowship at Said Business School, University of Oxford, Andrea joined Cardiff University in 2004. Her research is driven by a passion for understanding... More About Author

Hugh Willmott

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ISBN: 9781848606807
£41.99

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