Construction of Multiple Identities of Individuals at a Japanese SME: A Dynamic Perspective Toward Diversity Management

Abstract

This paper aims at exploring the complex interaction of multiple diversity attributes among organization members at a Japanese SME by adopting analytic lenses of an internal identity asymmetry and positive identity construction. More focus is placed on relationships among multiple identities highlighting when identities can be “positive” in the workplace. It is well known that an organization is a prime source of identity for individuals. The recent progress of diversity in organizational population , however, has revealed the multiplicity of identity of organization members—they are not only to identify with an organization , but also with various groups to which they belong , such as ethnicity , gender, occupation , employment status, and so on. While existing literature tends to focus on the difficulty of managing the organization members of multiple identities, this paper highlights the possibilities leading to cultivate a sense of inclusion through positivity . In particular , it reveals what triggers activating positive identities in a diverse workplace . In order to bring a novel set of insights to our understanding of how people negotiate multiple identities, the paper engages in the narrative analysis of seventeen semi-structured interviews with organization members of the Japanese SME. The current research would advance our understanding of the diversity management by explicating the enactment process of positive identities in the workplace, which is a more nuanced and dynamic view toward the diversity management.