Intensive Remedial Identity Work: Responses to Workplace Bullying Trauma and Stigmatization

Abstract

This study investigates the phenomenon of intensive remedial identity work by exploring responses to the trauma and stigma of adult bullying at work. It analyses the narratives of 20 workers who reported being bullied at work, in which they talk about persistent emotional abuse and their shifting, intensifying identity work in response. The following specific questions are explored: (a) what threats to identity does workplace bullying trigger?; (b) what are the types and remedial goals of identity work?; (c) what is the processual nature of this identity work? Analysis resulted in seven inter-related types of identity work: first-and second-level stabilizing, sensemaking, reconciling, repairing, grieving and restructuring. Each of these was associated with specific identity threats and a constellation of remedial goals. Comparative analysis among self-narratives suggested that identity work occurred in three approximate phases associated with abuse onset, escalation and cessation. Findings extend understanding of intensive remedial identity work in the face of persistently traumatic and stigmatizing organizational experiences.

Workers' perception of workplace bullying: A cross-cultural study

“…Among researchers, several authors have stressed that American perspectives of bullying imply different concepts compared with the European tradition (i.e., Saam, in press AT ), whereas others have stated that the terms workplace bullying, mobbing, employee emotional abuse, and nonsexual generalized harassment are synonymous (i.e., Lutgen-Sandvik, 2008). In particular, Einarsen et al (2003) pointed out that although the concept of bullying as used in English-speaking countries and the term mobbing as used in many other European countries may have some semantic differences and connotations, for all intents and purposes they refer to the same phenomenon.…”

‘Fantasy of Fusion’ as a Response to Trauma: European Leaders and the Origins of the Eurozone Crisis

“…Whether the consequences of the murder of a colleague (Fischer, 2012), the loss of a child during pregnancy (Hazen, 2003), war (Knežević & Ovsenik, 2002;Cruz, 2014), losing one's job (Gabriel, Gray, & Goregaokar, 2010), or bullying (Lutgen-Sandvik, 2008), trauma may be understood to be etched (Sklar, 2011, p. 2) in the minds of the recipients in an enduring and frequently highly problematic way. As well as being the source of considerable emotional pain, traumatic memoriesespecially because they are often hidden in the mind and 'outside the compass of words' (Garland, 1998, p. 26) -can have a profound impact on the thinking and decision-making of those who are traumatized (Hopper, 2003).…”

Gender, ethnicity and identity work in the family business

“…The family influence also provides negative effects and limited emotional resources for the individuals as they engage in identity work in contrast to non-family business work contexts. Indeed, building on Lutgen-Sandvik (2008), the intense period of making sense of and navigating among multiple identities complicated the growth and succession phases either because the individuals complied with the family expectations and norms more readily, or because they thought that the dissonance they experienced can be dealt with through quick remedial identity work tactics. Moreover, the life stories show that family involvement is a strong regulating force for individual identity work even after divorcing, as people have to find ways to sustain the family and business and transform their work and non-work identities accordingly.…”

“…We acknowledge that such a stage model may ignore many nuances and differences in experiences among the individuals and the family as a group. But it also has explanatory power in illustrating how identity work processes as long-term experiences can be organized into analytically generalized understanding (Lutgen-Sandvik, 2008;Yin, 2014) Below, we visualize the analysis by exploring first what specific discourses around gender and ethnicity are enacted as the basis for Sema's and Ender's identity work. Before presenting stories, we first introduce the focus individuals within the study: Sema and Ender.…”