Nils Wåhlin

Identity construction among boundary-crossing individuals

In this article we describe a study of boundary-crossing individuals (individuals who change organisation frequently) and the way they construct identities through interaction and self-reflexion. It is argued from a social constructionist perspective that studies of the way individual identities are constructed are important to our understanding of the complexity of the identity phenomenon. Identities cannot simply be reduced to certain stable institutionalised aspects such as profession or gender. Rather life should be seen as an ongoing process of identity construction, whereby reflexion upon life episodes and the pattern of such episodes shape identities. The results suggest different patterns of articulations through narratives. These narratives are associated with different underlying ontological discourses that describe diverse ways of reasoning among boundary-crossing individuals.

A Grammar of Organizing

Contents: 1. The Need for a New Grammar of Organizing 2. The Orientation of Activities in Time and Space 3. The Challenges of Coordination 4. Influence - Taking a Political Stand on Organizing 5. Identity Construction - Mixing Cultural Diversity and Integration in Organizing 6. Agreements - Acknowledging the Social Processes of Organizing 7. The Activity-Community Model of Organizing 8. Four Challenges of Organizing References Index

Virtual Identities and Market Segmentation in Marketing in and Through Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs)

It has been asserted that the emergence of virtual worlds has changed the ways that business may be conducted. In massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) a participant is given the opportunity to not only create an identity of how they would like to appear but also select individual activities. Clearly, this opportunity may carry marketing implications because marketers are given the opportunity to consider potential customers as they might like to be. Background in self-identity and buying behavior, the nature of MMOGs, taxonomy of gamers, and the construction of identity is sketched. Five propositions are developed that summarize our observations from this foundation.

Urban Strategies for Culture-Driven Growth

Over the past three decades, the European Capital of Culture has grown into one of the most ambitious cultural programs in the world. Through the promotion of cultural diversity across the continent, the program fosters mutual understanding and intercultural dialogue among citizens, thereby increasing their sense of belonging to a community. This insightful book outlines potential avenues through which culture and creativity can raise the imaginative capability of citizens and harness opportunities tied to what the book calls ‘culture-driven growth’.

Guest editorial : organizing cultural projects

Culture is an important part of the society and economy. People tend to evaluate progress through the delivery and survival of cultural artifacts whether that is in tangible terms or through memory ...

Managing Diversity Conceptually: Shifting Conceptualizations of Diversity in the Context of Immigrant Organizations in Sweden

Managing diversity conceptually : Shifting conceptualizations of diversity in the context of immigrant organizations in Sweden