1820: Agency in Identity Construction (13227)

Session Chair(s)

• NJ

  Niranjan Janardhanan

  London School of Economics

Participant(s)

• RS

  Rashi Sonal

  The London School of Economics and Political Science, United Kingdom
• EH

  Elaine Cahalan Hollensbe

  U. of Cincinnati, United States
• YS

  Yasha Spriha

  U. of Maryland R.H. Smith School of Business, United States

Presenter(s)

• EJ

  Elise Jones

  US Coast Guard Academy, United States
• MS

  Mathew Sheep

  Florida Gulf Coast U., United States

Session Chair(s)

• EJ

  Elise Jones

  US Coast Guard Academy, United States
• HV

  Heather Vough

  George Mason U., United States

Presenter(s)

• NS

  Namrata Sandhu

  -, United States

Participant(s)

• DO

  David Oliver

  U. Of Sydney, Australia
• HV

  Heather Vough

  George Mason U., United States
• EC

  Eliana Crosina

  Babson College, United States

Presenter(s)

• NJ

  Niranjan Janardhanan

  London School of Economics

Participant(s)

• RR

  Ruth Reaney

  Adam Smith Business School, U. of Glasgow

Identity work—or the processes by which people form, repair, maintain, strengthen, or revise their sense of self at work—indicates, at least implicitly, agency or intentionality on the part of the individual engaged in these processes. This stream of research implies individuals to be identity-makers, who play an active role in determining their identities, and in prioritizing identities at work. Yet, research has also shown that external entities such as interaction partners, organizational or occupational norms, or even implicit or subconscious processes can influence or even force individuals to adopt or enact certain identities, suggesting that individuals are also identity-takers in the identity construction process. To systematically examine individuals as identity makers and takers, our symposium brings together four papers that explicate these questions: (1) What are the constraints upon agency in identity work processes and how do they operate? (2) Is agency in identity construction always desired? (3) Is agency in identity construction always individual- or self-focused? To encourage meaningful discussions on the topic between presenters and the audience, our symposium will adopt a roundtable format rather than feature a discussant, after the paper presentations.

Presentations:

• 08:00 – 09:30 CT (GMT-5/UTC-5)

  1820: I Am My Company and My Company Is Me: On the Blurring of Founder-Venture Identity Boundaries (13227)
  

  Author: Namrata Sandhu – -

  Author: David Oliver – U. Of Sydney

  Author: Heather Ciara Vough – George Mason U.

  Author: Eliana Crosina – Babson College
• 08:00 – 09:30 CT (GMT-5/UTC-5)

  1820: The Art of Stenciling: Agency in Work Identity Construction amidst Sudden Change (13227)
  

  Author: Niranjan Srinivasan Janardhanan – London School of Economics

  Author: Ruth Reaney – Adam Smith Business School, U. of Glasgow

  Author: Rashi Sonal – The London School of Economics and Political Science

  Author: Elaine Cahalan Hollensbe – U. of Cincinnati

  Author: Yasha Spriha – U. of Maryland R.H. Smith School of Business
• 08:00 – 09:30 CT (GMT-5/UTC-5)

  1820: Can’t Be One without the Others: A Model of Inter-Identity Work (13227)
  

  Author: Elise B. Jones – US Coast Guard Academy
• 08:00 – 09:30 CT (GMT-5/UTC-5)

  1820: Who or What? Agency in Identity Work through Communication/Discourse Lenses (13227)
  

  Author: Mathew Laurence Sheep – Florida Gulf Coast U.