Identity at Work: An Enquiry-based Approach to Therapeutically Inspired Management

Identity studies reveal many issues and problems for individuals and organizations and from these I select three topics which connect to management practice: performance and its barriers; the self and others; and boundaries and transitions. I argue for an enquiry-based approach to management practice which focuses not on prescriptive answers but on engaging questions which can draw on theory as a resource and promote thought-infused action. Because much of the identity literature would be sceptical about normative theory ‘implications for practice’ tend to be somewhat thin. An enquiry-based approach removes normative expectations along with the hierarchical expectation that theory is first and practice is second. Rather, practice-relevant questions can be refined and developed through theoretical engagement. An enquiry that has practical relevance is also likely to draw resource from across disciplinary boundaries, and in this case I draw on ideas from therapeutic theory to challenge and support management practice.