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The self at work: an overview

The self at work: an overview
The self at work: an overview
Issues pertaining to the self are ubiquitous at work. Consider the case of Maggie, a senior manager at a large accounting firm who is hoping to be promoted to partner. Although the promotion comes with a pay raise, Maggie especially desires the position because of the boost it would give her self-esteem and because of the greater power and autonomy that being partner affords. For these reasons, Maggie is motivated to present an overly favorable impression of herself to the partners by seeking positive feedback about her accomplishments and by displaying visible signs of being engaged at work (e.g., working late and coming in on weekends, holding meetings with clients at the office, etc.). Or consider the case of Erlich, who is a member of a close-knit team working in a software company. The culture and leadership in this company stresses benevolence and universalism, which causes employees to see themselves as interconnected with one another. Erlich’s work can sometimes be quite demanding, which leaves him feeling mentally depleted and prone to making mistakes. When mistakes occur, they hinder the performance of his team members, leaving Erlich feeling guilt and shame. To escape negative feelings about himself and his abilities, Erlich smokes marijuana in the evening. As these two examples illustrate, what people think and feel about themselves impact how they perform their jobs and interact with work colleagues. The thoughts and feelings that people have about themselves are also shaped by their jobs and interactions, and the broader work environment. The self and work are indeed intertwined, thus necessitating that industrial and organizational psychologists have an understanding of theory and research pertaining to the self.
1-12
Taylor & Francis
Ferris, D. Lance
402b7d3c-8d34-4b04-8369-5a186633a8a5
Johnson, Russell E.
ea6c8d6e-bb38-4910-8384-7b1479685697
Sedikides, Constantine
9d45e66d-75bb-44de-87d7-21fd553812c2
Ferris, D. Lance
402b7d3c-8d34-4b04-8369-5a186633a8a5
Johnson, Russell E.
ea6c8d6e-bb38-4910-8384-7b1479685697
Sedikides, Constantine
9d45e66d-75bb-44de-87d7-21fd553812c2

Ferris, D. Lance, Johnson, Russell E. and Sedikides, Constantine (2017) The self at work: an overview. In, The Self at Work: Fundamental Theory and Research. 1st ed. New York. Taylor & Francis, pp. 1-12. (doi:10.4324/9781315626543).

Record type: Book Section

Abstract

Issues pertaining to the self are ubiquitous at work. Consider the case of Maggie, a senior manager at a large accounting firm who is hoping to be promoted to partner. Although the promotion comes with a pay raise, Maggie especially desires the position because of the boost it would give her self-esteem and because of the greater power and autonomy that being partner affords. For these reasons, Maggie is motivated to present an overly favorable impression of herself to the partners by seeking positive feedback about her accomplishments and by displaying visible signs of being engaged at work (e.g., working late and coming in on weekends, holding meetings with clients at the office, etc.). Or consider the case of Erlich, who is a member of a close-knit team working in a software company. The culture and leadership in this company stresses benevolence and universalism, which causes employees to see themselves as interconnected with one another. Erlich’s work can sometimes be quite demanding, which leaves him feeling mentally depleted and prone to making mistakes. When mistakes occur, they hinder the performance of his team members, leaving Erlich feeling guilt and shame. To escape negative feelings about himself and his abilities, Erlich smokes marijuana in the evening. As these two examples illustrate, what people think and feel about themselves impact how they perform their jobs and interact with work colleagues. The thoughts and feelings that people have about themselves are also shaped by their jobs and interactions, and the broader work environment. The self and work are indeed intertwined, thus necessitating that industrial and organizational psychologists have an understanding of theory and research pertaining to the self.

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Published date: 14 December 2017

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 427749
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/427749
PURE UUID: 3ba64f0b-88c5-4fa0-a12d-8819bc72b264
ORCID for Constantine Sedikides: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-4036-889X

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Date deposited: 28 Jan 2019 17:30
Last modified: 06 Jun 2024 01:38

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Author: D. Lance Ferris
Author: Russell E. Johnson

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