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On the Nature of Dialogic Identity Work
Nic Beech
St Andrews University, Management School, Fife, Scotland, pnhb{at}st-andrews.ac.uk
This paper seeks to supplement the theory that identity work incorporates a dialogic process by focusing on how such processes can proceed. The research question is: how do people's identities become meaningful? The aim is to theorize the `route to meaning construction' of the self by producing a model of micro dialogical process. The model synthesizes current research on dialogic processes and classic concepts of Bakhtin and Wittgenstein. An empirical analysis is conducted of a longitudinal multi-method engagement with an organization in the cultural sector, focusing on the multiple identity narratives of a manager. Subsequently, the model is developed to incorporate the concepts of meaning-giving tensions and enabling/militating factors.
Key Words: construction • diaglogue • identity work • narrative
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Organization, Vol. 15, No. 1,
51-74 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/1350508407084485
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