Abstract
The purpose of this article is to contribute a conceptualization of liminality, a state of in-between-ness and ambiguity, as it applies to identity reconstruction of people in organizations. Liminality is discussed in anthropological and organizational literatures and a composite understanding is developed here. This incorporates a dialogical perspective and defines liminal practices along with varying orientations of dialogue between the self and others. Application of this conceptualization is illustrated by analysis of two cases and a broader application of the concept to the identity work literature is discussed.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 285-302 |
Number of pages | 18 |
Journal | Human Relations |
Volume | 64 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Feb 2011 |
Keywords
- dialogue
- identity construction
- liminality
- practice
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Management of Technology and Innovation
- Strategy and Management
- General Social Sciences