Who is colonizing whom? : Intertwined identities in product development projects

Abstract

Despite the considerable number of studies on workplace identities in the organizational literature, the project management area of research is relatively de-personalized. In seeking to develop this research, this qualitative, longitudinal study of a product development project in the automotive industry focuses on how individuals use the project as a resource for their own identity construction while at the same time the project colonizes their identities. The study reveals that the identity construction processes of the project leaders and of the project are closely intertwined and co-constructed. The project leaders face a paradoxical situation: their identities are colonized, regulated, and controlled by their company (or car, or project), and yet they believe they make their choices voluntarily. However, the core values of projectified society are ‘hidden’ in the identity work that an automobile company consciously uses to develop cars associated with specific emotions and values.

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