Identity Transitions: Advancing Theories on When and How Individuals Evolve Their Sense of Self

Abstract

Identities (i.e., the answer to “Who am I?”; Ashforth, Harrison, & Corley, 2008) are dynamic and evolve over time (Ashforth, 2001; Ebaugh, 1988; Ibarra, 1999; Kreiner & Sheep, 2009; Pratt, Rockmann, & Kaufmann, 2006; Reay, Goodrick, Waldorff, & Casebeer, 2017). Facilitating this evolution is a process called ‘identity work’ whereby individuals alter their identity (Alvesson & Willmott, 2002; Sveningsson & Alvesson, 2003) to develop a more coherent sense of self (Watson, 2008). In this symposium, we focus on ‘identity transitions’ which are often triggered by external events (e.g., job loss – Shepherd & Williams, in press) that may push individuals into a liminal period (Turner, 1967). In response, individuals may negotiate their answer to the question “Who am I?” and engage in identity work processes to transition from an existing identity into a new identity (Ibarra & Barbulescu, 2010). To that end, identity transitions are complex and typically occur during turbulent periods of one’s life, although they may be positively rationalized as producing identity growth (Kreiner & Sheep, 2009; Vough & Caza, 2017). However, because much identity transition research has assumed that individuals create a new identity, alternative and nonlinear responses to identity transitions are limited and have only recently begun to be examined (e.g., Beech, Gilmore, Hilbbert, & Ybema, 2016; Daskalaki & Simosi, in press; Ladge, Clair, and Greenberg, 2014). Additionally, some individuals may become stuck within a permanent state of liminality (Conroy & O’Leary-Kelly, 2014), like long-term unemployment (Ibarra & Obodaru, 2016), where they are unable to successfully transition to a new identity. This symposium explores ways that individuals may differentially revise their identity in response to different types of events that may trigger identity transitions. We hope that this symposium will further open the door for alternative identity responses and nonlinear identity transitions. We also hope that this symposium will expand our understanding of identity transitions and generate fruitful discussion to guide future research on this topic. The Transition to Fatherhood: Mens Identity Work on The Path to “Working Father” Presenter: Christine Deborah Bataille; Ithaca College Presenter: Melinda McGill-Carlison; Cornell U. Holding Myself Together: Identity Defense Work in Discontinuous Mobility Presenter: Sarah Wittman; George Mason U. Making the Move: How Identity Motives Help or Hinder Role Transitions Presenter: Silvia Clark; Darla Moore School of Business, U. of South Carolina Presenter: M Audrey Korsgaard; U. of South Carolina Identity Work Behaviors After an International Experience Presenter: Christina Hymer; Darla Moore School of Business, U. of South Carolina Presenter: Elizabeth C Ravlin; U. of South Carolina