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“Who Are We Now?”: Group Identity, Boundaries, and the (Re)Organizing Process

In: Managing Boundaries in Organizations: Multiple Perspectives

Author

Listed:
  • Neil Paulsen

Abstract

“Who am I?” and “Who are we?” are questions that have occupied the minds of philosophers (e.g. Plato, Aristotle, Descartes), sociologists, and psychologists (e.g. James, Mead, Goffman, and Erikson) for many centuries. Identity is central to a conception of what it means to be human. An individual’s identity is based in part on the groups to which he or she belongs, and identification with these groups forms part of an individual’s self-concept. Within organizational contexts, employees are members of a number of groups, all of which are potential targets of identification: the organization itself, divisions, departments, or work units, as well as management teams, project teams, professional groups, or other informal groups. In other words, organizations are structured both formally and informally such that individuals within them relate to one another in essentially an intergroup context.

Suggested Citation

  • Neil Paulsen, 2003. "“Who Are We Now?”: Group Identity, Boundaries, and the (Re)Organizing Process," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Neil Paulsen & Tor Hernes (ed.), Managing Boundaries in Organizations: Multiple Perspectives, chapter 1, pages 14-34, Palgrave Macmillan.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:palchp:978-0-230-51255-9_2
    DOI: 10.1057/9780230512559_2
    as

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