Identity Work During Boundary Moments: Managing Positive Identities Through Talk and Embodied Interaction
Keywords
identity construction, interaction-in-action, organizational identity
Abstract
In a famous sketch by M. C. Escher, entitled “Drawing Hands,” two hands are holding pencils so that each draws the other into existence as they jointly emerge from the blank page. In this chapter, we regard identity as something that people do together, as a way of jointly coming into being. We notice that when positive identities emerge within organizations, they do so jointly in interaction. If they happen, they co-occur. Our approach is to look at identity “in the wild” (Hutchins, 1995). By carefully examining audio and video recordings of people in real conversations at work, we show how “small” verbal and nonverbal behaviors may have “big” consequences for who people are relative to one another and their organizations.
Original Publication Citation
LeBaron, C., Glenn, P., and Thompson, M. (2009). Identity work during boundary moments: Managing positive identities through talk and embodied interaction. In J. Dutton and L. Roberts (Eds.), Exploring positive identities and organizations: Building a theoretical and research foundation (pp. 187-211). New York: Routledge.
BYU ScholarsArchive Citation
Lebaron, Curtis; Glenn, Phillip; and Thompson, Michael P., "Identity Work During Boundary Moments: Managing Positive Identities Through Talk and Embodied Interaction" (2009). Faculty Publications. 8880.
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/facpub/8880
Document Type
Peer-Reviewed Article
Publication Date
2009
Publisher
New York: Routledge
Language
English
College
Marriott School of Business
Department
Marketing
Copyright Use Information
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