Pathways for positive identity construction at work: Four types of positive identity and the building of social resources
Dutton, J. E., Roberts, L.M., & Bednar, J. (2010). Pathways for positive identity construction at work: Four types of positive identity and the building of social resources. Academy of Management Review, 35(2), 265-293. (Academy of Management members can download the paper by clicking on the title.)
Abstract:
In this paper we organize research on work-related identities into a four-perspective typology that captures different ways identities can be “positive.” Each perspective on positive identity—virtue, evaluative, developmental, and structural—highlights a different source of positivity and opens new avenues for theorizing about identity construction. We use these four perspectives to develop propositions about how different forms of positive work-related identity construction can strengthen employees through building social resources.