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Golfing with a murderer—Professional indifference and identity work in a Danish prison

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  • Lemmergaard, Jeanette
  • Muhr, Sara Louise

Abstract

Employees often use dis-identification strategies such as humor or cynicism to cope with emotional difficulties at work. In this paper, we show how dis-identification collapses among Danish correctional officers because of specific emotional contradictions arising from the ‘dirty’ aspects of their work. Correctional officers face the emotional dilemma of having to both get involved with the inmates to rehabilitate them and be suspicious of them to maintain security. At the same time, they have to deal with the stigma of their job and cannot easily vent their emotional experiences with outsiders. It therefore becomes difficult to uphold a positive and coherent sense of self. In order to maintain a dignified sense of self and a positive attitude towards work correctional officers construct a space of professional indifference.

Suggested Citation

  • Lemmergaard, Jeanette & Muhr, Sara Louise, 2012. "Golfing with a murderer—Professional indifference and identity work in a Danish prison," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 28(2), pages 185-195.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:scaman:v:28:y:2012:i:2:p:185-195
    DOI: 10.1016/j.scaman.2011.10.001
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Glen E. Kreiner & Blake E. Ashforth & David M. Sluss, 2006. "Identity Dynamics in Occupational Dirty Work: Integrating Social Identity and System Justification Perspectives," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 17(5), pages 619-636, October.
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    5. Kimberly D. Elsbach & C. B. Bhattacharya, 2001. "Defining Who You Are By What You're Not: Organizational Disidentification and The National Rifle Association," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 12(4), pages 393-413, August.
    6. Mats Alvesson & Hugh Willmott, 2002. "Identity Regulation as Organizational Control: Producing the Appropriate Individual," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(5), pages 619-644, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Sanne Frandsen & Mette Morsing, 2022. "Behind the Stigma Shield: Frontline Employees’ Emotional Response to Organizational Event Stigma at Work and at Home," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(8), pages 1987-2023, December.
    2. Kam Phung & Sean Buchanan & Madeline Toubiana & Trish Ruebottom & Luciana Turchick‐Hakak, 2021. "When Stigma Doesn’t Transfer: Stigma Deflection and Occupational Stratification in the Sharing Economy," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(4), pages 1107-1139, June.

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