Construction and Measurement of Contemporary Work Identities

Abstract

Identity and identity processes are growing areas of research in management scholarship. Organizational, occupational, and role identities influence personal self-concept and impact how one makes sense of the workplace. Similarly, the processes that trigger identity formation or construction within the workplace has the potential to affect many individual and organizational outcomes. In fact, identity construction spans research in organizational behavior, human resources, and careers alike as individuals seek to understand self while navigating the workplace. This symposium explores identity processes faced by contemporary workers. Specifically, the symposium highlights the influence of identity processes in the context of gig employment and entrepreneurial pursuits. The unique context in which a gig worker performs identity construction may affect the processes available to those individuals, which could impact the formation of the identity. For entrepreneurs, their identity exploration may affect the individual’s ability and willingness when it comes to discovery and pursuit of new opportunities. In addition to these unique contexts, this symposium introduces an instrument to measure identity work in an effort to expand and strengthen empirical research in this area. The Gig Identity: A Theory of Work Identity for the Gig Economy Presenter: Ifeyimika Ogunyomi; U. of Texas At Arlington Presenter: Shelia Hyde; U. of Texas At Arlington Presenter: George Benson; U. of Texas At Arlington Wax and Prosper or Dwindle and Die: A Multiple Identity Tale of Entrepreneurial Opportunity Presenter: Ryan Scott Teschner; U. of Texas at Dallas Development and Validation of an Identity Climate Scale Presenter: Esther Lamarre Jean; U. of Texas At Arlington Presenter: Wayne S. Crawford; U. of Texas At Arlington