Selenko_Position_paperR1final3.pdf (326.63 kB)
On the dynamics of work identity in atypical employment: Setting out a research agenda
journal contribution
posted on 2018-02-12, 13:48 authored by Eva SelenkoEva Selenko, H. Berkers, A. Carter, S.A. Woods, K. Otto, T. Urbach, Hans De WitteStarting from the notion that work is an important part of who we are, we extend existing theory making on the interplay of work and identity by applying them to (so called) atypical work situations. Without the contextual stability of a permanent organizational position, the question “who one is” will be more difficult to answer. At the same time, a stable occupational identity might provide an even more important orientation to one’s career attitudes and goals in atypical employment situations. So, while atypical employment might pose different challenges on identity; identity can still be a valid concept to assist the understanding of behaviour, attitudes and well-being in these situations. Our analysis does not attempt to ‘reinvent’ the concept of identity, but will elaborate how existing conceptualisations of identity as being a multiple (albeit perceived as singular), fluid (albeit perceived as stable), and actively forged (as well as passively influenced) construct that can be adapted to understand the effects of atypical employment contexts. Furthermore, we suggest three specific ways to understand the longitudinal dynamics of the interplay between atypical employment and identity over time: passive incremental, active incremental and transformative change. We conclude with key learning points and outline a few practical recommendations for more research into identity as an explanatory mechanism for the effects of atypical employment situations.
History
School
- Business and Economics
Department
- Business
Published in
European Journal of Work and Organizational PsychologyCitation
SELENKO, E. ...et al., 2018. On the dynamics of work identity in atypical employment: Setting out a research agenda. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 27 (3), pp.324-334.Publisher
© Taylor & Francis (Routledge)Version
- AM (Accepted Manuscript)
Publisher statement
This work is made available according to the conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) licence. Full details of this licence are available at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/Acceptance date
2018-02-08Publication date
2018Notes
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology on 27 Feb 2018, available online: https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2018.1444605ISSN
1464-0643Publisher version
Language
- en