This study investigates the personal experience of newly appointed chief executives in transitioning into the CEO role. Adopting an exploratory qualitative design, data was obtained from two semi-structured interviews with 19 newly appointed chief executives, for a total of 38 interviews. The main contribution of this thesis to the extant literature is to show the ways in which CEOs go through an identity construction process when transitioning into the role, which is characterized in two ways. First, there exists a bi-directionality of influence between the personal identity of the CEO and the organizational identity. Second, this process comprises strong identity demands (lack of specificity of the role and weak situation) and identity tensions (personal identity intrusion and identity transparency) that dispose new CEOs towards an unbalance that promotes individuality. This disequilibrium might hinder the integration of new chief executives into the organization, since the data suggests that new CEOs are responsible for fostering their own integration by connecting aspects of their personal identity with the identity and culture of the organization. The thesis offers a theoretical model of the CEO identity construction process and concludes with a series of propositions that address the ramifications of these findings to our understanding of CEO succession.

La transition professionnelle des ex-permanents syndicaux, définis comme des représentants syndicaux travaillant à temps plein pour le syndicat, est un sujet complexe tant elle touche l’individu, le syndicat et l’entreprise d’accueil. Pour comprendre ce sujet, la littérature mobilisée offre des cadres d’analyse en s’intéressant aux problèmes internes au syndicat, aux raisons de l’engagement initial, au rôle du résidu émotionnel dans la construction identitaire et à la manière pour un individu de valoriser son expérience. L’opérationnalisation de ce questionnement s’est faite sous forme d’entretiens auprès d’ex-permanents et permanents syndicaux en cours de reconversion par un suivi longitudinal. Souhaitant identifier les particularités du syndicalisme français, des militants syndicaux américains ont également été interrogés. Une triangulation des données a aussi été recherchée auprès de Directeurs des Ressources Humaines, managers, organisations syndicales, permanents syndicaux n’étant pas en démarche de transition professionnelle et d’un cabinet spécialisé dans l’accompagnement des ex-permanents. Nos résultats font émerger un engagement syndical français particulier touchant de nombreuses sphères personnelles et professionnelles. Des difficultés internes au syndicat et le comportement de l’expermanent face à ces difficultés conduisent celui-ci à partir. Le départ provoque une émotion forte persistante (le résidu émotionnel) ayant un rôle-clé dans la reconstruction identitaire et déterminant l’état d’esprit de l’individu. Enfin, l’expérience syndicale est intégrée différemment dans la carrière selon les individus. / Abstract The professional transition of ex-full time unionists, defined as activists working full time for the union, is a complex issue as it affects the individual, the union and the host company. In order to understand this subject, the mobilized literature offers analytical frameworks focusing on internal problems of the union, the reasons for the initial commitment, the role of the emotional residue in the construction of identity, and the way in which an individual can value his experience. The operationalization of this research was carried out in the form of interviews with ex-full time unionists and full time activists for their professional transition by a longitudinal follow-up. Wishing to identify the specificities of the French trade unionism, American activists were questioned. A triangulation of the data has also been sought from Human Resources Directors, managers, trade unions, full time unionists who were not in professional transition and a company specialized in the support of ex-full time unionists. Our results underlines the French specificities of trade union commitment (personal and professional domains). Internal difficulties in the trade union and the behaviour of the ex-full time unionist led him to leave. This departure implies a persistent strong emotion (the emotion residue) which has a key role in the identity work and the mindset of the individual. Finally, union experience could be integrated differently in the career, depending on the individual.

Sweden has been celebrated in public discourse for being a major proponent of social justice and anti-racist policies, but the country’s ambiguous history with racism has been replaced by colour-evasive discourses permeating contemporary organisations today. Management and organisation studies have focused on the individual identity work of employees, without further attention to the intersecting social positionings of Black Afro-Swedish women. By the works of Black feminism, intersectionality and a phenomenology of embodiment, this study focused on how Afro-Swedish women experience and manage their embodied identities in working life. With a qualitative research methodology and an embodied research design, data was gathered from 17 unstructured interviews with Afro-Swedish women who are professionals, managers, and executives in the public, private, as well as the third sector. The participant group consisted of 2 Deaf women and 15 hearing women. Through an inductive thematic analysis process 3 main themes were generated: Reactions and Responses, Negotiation Practices and Survival Strategies. The findings also point to a sectoral segregation of race and gender, specific for the third sector, as well as diversity exploitation that renders Black women more vulnerable by naturalising unpaid diversity labour. The concluding chapter calls for a more focused analysis about Deaf racialised women’s experiences in working life and Afro-Swedish women across a broader range of professions.

I denna studie har ett internetbaserat stödforum för utmattningssyndrom analyserats i syfte att bidra med ny kunskap om identitetsskapande i interaktion, mellan individer med egen erfarenhet av utmatningssyndrom. Studien har utgått från en diskurspsykologisk inramning och sökt svar på frågeställningarna; I) vilka föreställningar om sjukdomsidentiteter förhandlas fram på ett internetbaserat stödforum för utmattningssyndrom? och II) hur konstrueras normalitet inom ramen för de sjukdomsidentiteter som produceras? Analys av medlemskategoriseringar har använts som huvudsakligt analytiskt verktyg vilket syftat till att synliggöra vilka kategorier som gjorts relevanta av forumdeltagarna. Analysen visar fem identitetspositioner vilka uttryckts som att vara: sjuk, utmattad, kunnig, inte ensam och snart bättre. På forumet görs försäkringskassan till en utanför- grupp vilket stärker gemenskapen av sjukdom bland forumdeltagarna. Denna gemenskap legitimerar att dela med sig av egna erfarenheter av utmattningssyndrom och att positionera sig som kunniga gentemot vårdapparaten. Samtidigt synliggör analysen hur forumdeltagarna konstruerar samsyn kring normalitet i utmattningen och vad som anses som normal sjukskrivningsperiod med anledning av utmattningssyndrom. I sin tur möjliggörs också identitetspositionen av att vara på bättringsvägen.

Quelle différence faisons-nous entre Leroy Merlin, Castorama ou encore Bricorama ? Ces organisations se distinguent par un ensemble d’attributs qui façonnent le caractère unique, leur identité. Ce travail de recherche propose de mieux comprendre comment se forme l’identité d’une organisation. Il appréhende la question identitaire sous le prisme du courant de la stratégie comme pratique et la théorie de l’identité organisationnelle. Afin de répondre à la problématique de recherche, la thèse questionne le rôle des parties prenantes, des pratiques et de la matérialité sur le processus de formation de l’identité organisationnelle. L’originalité de ce travail réside dans l’étude de la formation identitaire dès la création d’un intermédiaire de l’innovation dans le secteur de la construction. La recherche repose sur un cas unique longitudinal à dimension ethnographique. Elle inclut une enquête sur la perception des parties prenantes externes de l’identité de l’organisation.Les résultats mettent en évidence le rôle prépondérant des fondateurs mais aussi des salariés dans la formation identitaire. Le cas d’un intermédiaire de l’innovation fait émerger une stratégie de formation de l’identité organisationnelle, le jeu identitaire. Il correspond à l’exploration de plusieurs futurs possibles. De plus, trois pratiques pour « former, réparer, maintenir, renforcer ou réviser » sont mises en évidence. Enfin, les résultats soulignent les effets de l’absence d’un artéfact (une plateforme physique) qui contribue à exacerber le conflit sur l’identité entre les membres.Ce travail de recherche présente aussi des implications managériales visant à comprendre comment former et gérer l’identité au cours du temps. / What difference do we make between Leroy Merlin, Castorama or Bricorama? These organizations are distinguished by a set of attributes that shape their uniqueness, their identity. This research proposes to better understand how organizational identity is formed. The identity question is addressed by taking a strategy as a practice lens and is grounded in organizational identity theory. In order to answer the research question, the thesis is interested in the role of the stakeholders, practices and materiality on the organizational identity formation process. The originality of this work lies in the study of identity formation from inception of an innovative intermediary in the construction sector. The research is based on a unique longitudinal case with an ethnographic dimension. It includes a survey of the perception of external stakeholders about the organization’s identity.The results highlight the preponderant role of founders but also of employees in identity formation. The case of an innovation intermediary reveals a strategy to form organizational identity: organizational identity play. It corresponds to the exploration of several possible futures. In addition, three practices for "forming, repairing, maintaining, strengthening, or revising" identity are highlighted. Finally, the results highlight the effects of the absence of an artifact (a physical platform) that contributes to exacerbate conflict over identity among members.

Since 2006 there have been two major changes to the Swedish Education Act. In January 2006, the first change, concerning nine-year compulsory school, took effect. The Act now requires that Personal Development Plans (i.e. individuella utvecklingsplaner – IUP) be introduced for students in elementary school, special schools for disabled children, Sami schools and special schools. The second change came into effect in July 2008. The content of the personal development plan was expanded to contain not only plans for future development, but also teachers’ written assessments of students’ knowledge and learning process. To implement the new regulations and support teachers’ work, many schools have turned to digital tools. The combination of new regulations and digital tools has generated new, unexplored circumstances for teachers, students and parents. The aim of this thesis is to provide a greater understanding of the work process with students ́ personal development planning and the role of digital documentation in this process. The aim is also to investigate students’, teachers’ and guardians’ experiences and participation. The main focus is on experience of the work processes associated with the recent reform of methods for communicating students’ knowledge and learning processes. To better understand this new educational situation, students’, parents’ and teachers’ experience of working according to the new regulations has been analysed and problematized. The research questions address how the use of digital tools influences the process, in what ways the process affects students’ and parents’ participation and in what ways the students’ identity work is affected by the communication and work process. The study is based on qualitative semi-structured interviews, a survey study and a document analysis. The material was analysed through an inductive thematic analysis. The analysis draws on activity theory and theories focusing on participation at higher and lower levels, and on social relationships through concepts of power and control, as well as visible and invisible pedagogy. Patterns in the material were analysed using concepts of communicative and strategic communication, negotiation of influence, self-regulation and techniques for disciplining, positioning processes and the individual’s approach to a prevailing norm. The concept of cultural capital has also been used as an analytical concept. Students, parents and teachers all state that the process is now, finally, about the student’s personal learning. Thus, the study shows that students’ goals and personal planning do not significantly affect teaching in schools. Responsibility for achieving the goals is left to the student alone. Students can decide when and how they will work towards the goals in the plan. The follow-up process is concentrated to the discussion on progress with parents each semester where new goals are set for the student. The study also shows that the process with the personal development plans is focused on students’ behaviour and on transforming students into model students who perform at their absolute best. The study also shows that parents are entering as a new player – their child’s representative in negotiation. Teachers on the other hand are trying to manage the work process rationally by copying and pasting written opinions among several students and formulating and adapting students’ goals to suit their teaching. Students’ personal development plans are significant texts where players other than the student and his or her parents or teachers, are able to scrutinize and criticise the content as the student’s plans are public documents. All in all, the study shows that the whole work process with students’ personal development plans requires both awareness and understanding of the importance of language and wording. The work process is not only about learning; it is also about power, control and negotiation. / ”Ja, det blir typ mycket bättre koll på, jag tror det blir bättre så här koll på vad man behöver träna på”, beskriver Ella 11 år. Ella refererar till de ändringar i grundskoleförordningen som gör gällande att alla elever i grundskolan ska ha en individuell utvecklingsplan med skriftliga omdömen och vad hon tror att de nya bestämmelserna kommer att leda till. Vad får de nya bestämmelserna och arbetsprocessen med de individuella utvecklingsplanerna för betydelse för elever, föräldrar och lärare? Vad får användningen av ett digitalt verktyg i sammanhanget för betydelse? Handlar arbetsprocessen med de individuella utvecklingsplanerna med skriftliga omdömen enbart om att synliggöra elevers kunskaper och lärande eller innefattar den även något annat? Den här avhandlingen handlar om den arbetsprocess som sker när elever, föräldrar, och lärare förbereder och genomför utvecklingssamtal samt upprättar individuella utvecklingsplaner för elevernas lärande med stöd av ett digitalt verktyg. Syftet med avhandlingen är att med stöd av aktivitetsteori och teorier om delaktighet och inflytande samt makt- och kontrollprinciper ge en ökad förståelse för arbetsprocessen med de individuella utvecklingsplanerna. Syftet är också att utforska betydelsen av digital dokumentation och hur arbetet inverkar på möjligheterna till delaktighet och inflytande samt elevernas identitetsarbete i arbetsprocessen. Både elever, föräldrar och lärare uttrycker i studien att det nu äntligen handlar om elevens eget lärande och att arbetet med de individuella utvecklingsplanerna möjliggör ett förändrat arbetssätt i den riktningen. Studien visar dock att arbetsprocessen med elevers individuella utvecklingsplaner handlar om mer än enbart elevens lärande. I studien framträder fenomen som makt, kontroll och förhandling. Det framträder också en förestä̈llning om en mönsterelev som förväntas bidra till ett gott arbetsklimat och som presterar sitt allra yttersta. Eleverna, förldrarna och lärarna deltar i skapandet av mönstereleven frå̊n olika perspektiv, med olika motiv och med olika strategier. Elevers individuella utvecklingsplaner med skriftliga omdömen är betydelsefulla texter vars innehåll både kan granskas och kritiseras av andra än eleven, dess föräldrar och lärare i och med att utvecklingsplanen är en offentlig handling. Detta kräver både en medvetenhet och kunskap om arbetsprocessen och vad språket och formuleringarna i de skriftliga omdömena om eleven kan få för betydelse.

This dissertation examines classroom conversations involving refugee and immigrant youth in a second language (L2) introduction program, exploring how L2 Swedish emerges as a multiparty accomplishment by both the teacher and the students. Drawing on forty hours of video-recorded Swedish L2 classroom conversations, as well as on observations and informal interviews, it focuses on talk as a form of social action. Theoretically and methodologically, the dissertation primarily combines insights from language socialization and social constructionist frameworks and detailed transcriptions informed by conversation analysis. Study I documents how schooled Swedish as a second language (SSL) student identities emerged as performative effects of how the students in school activities were addressed as “ethnic” students, and how they managed to handle, adopt, and contest being positioned as the Other. Study II records classroom performances and the formation of a community of practice. The analyses cover how students’ verbal improvisations (repetitions, stylizations, and laughter) and alignments to local registers authenticate SSL identities. The findings show how stylizations were important resources for metalinguistic reflections on correctness, and for the establishment of a local language ideology. Study III documents the interactional nature of classroom repair work. Detailed analyses of correction sequences and trajectories show that both the teacher and the students produced ambiguous other-corrections, illuminating the intricate multiparty work in correction trajectories. In brief, this dissertation illuminates multiparty aspects of classroom L2 socialization. The analyses of classroom talk show how both teacher and student investments in language competencies and local ideologies of correct Swedish or style, as well as participation and identity work, are co-constructed through participants’ tailoring of talk. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 1: Manuscript. Paper 3: Accepted.</p>

The thesis approaches the issue of IS support for service work, understood as distributed knowledge work taking place as a negotiation between diverse interests. It is based on an ethnographically inspired, longitudinal case study of certification auditing according to a formal generic standard. A handful of certification auditors are followed closely, periodically and comprehensively over three years. Observations are combined with interviews of subjects and colleagues, added by exploration of other material. The practices of company ‘W’ is placed within a larger historical and institutional context. Research literature and theory is explored in four chapters from Social studies of science (STS), Computer supported cooperative work (CSCW), Information systems (IS), Information infrastructures (II) and Management literature. The aim is to identify basic characteristics of service work, its opportunities and challenges, from both the company’s and workers’ perspective. Main topics are Decision Making as negotiated sensemaking, contextual rationality and judgement; Sharing of understanding and meaning as ongoing practiced articulation work aiming for trust and an equifinal level of accord that will ‘find and allow common action’; Perseverance in a capable role that will allow calibration of distributed knowledge is vital for auditors. Common Information Spaces (CIS) is used as a framework to explore the heterogeneous circumstances of identity work in work practices; Predictability in production is sought through various strategies of standardization. Approaches to avoid and counter the inherent side-effects of standardization are described. The empirical results of the research project are presented and analysed in four chapters that look at the issue of i) being an accomplished service worker and ii) practicing service work. Both issues are addressed from a local, individual perspective, and from an organizational perspective in terms of the continuation of quality production. The thesis closes with a Conclusion of organized and standardized service work as displaying Practical drift, in response to the research question RQ0. How is IS supported distributed service work negotiated?, followed by implications for IS research and practice. The empirical case displays the role of information systems (IS) support in distributed service work - as part of a larger assembly of standardization measures, a broad-spectrum approach, displaying practical drift in its effect. The service work of certification auditing is characterized by ongoing negotiation of partly contradictory interests. It is heterogeneously standardized through material, rational/immaterial and social/organizational measures, many in place long before the advent of advanced IS. Traditionally, there are release mechanisms that, on the auditors’ discretion, alleviate the inappropriate effects of standardization. With new harmonising efforts the scope of this personal latitude needs to change, but when first implemented the IS along with new procedures start off as too tight. However, over time adaptations are made, making the overall process self regulatory with feedback mechanisms. On the whole, the thesis aims to contribute to the literature on information infrastructures, on knowledge work in general, and CSCW by drawing on insights from this specific collaborative work in controversial settings. The case provides practical insights for resilient systemizing of knowledge based global service work practices.

De bilder som omger oss i vardagen är alla en del i hur vår identitet formas och utarbetas. Kläder och mode kan betraktas som en del av dessa bilder och har således stor påverkan på hur identitetsprocesser ser ut och och uppvisas. Den första introduktionen av oss själva sker genom de plagg vi bär och att konsumera plagg är en vikig del i skapandet av sig själv och sin identitet.  I den här studien har jag genom en designpedagogisk workshop fått ta del av fyra gymnasieungdomars taktila och verbala utsagor kring modekonsumtion och identitetsuttryck. Med utgångspunkt i sina egna garderober har deltagarna genom praktiskt arbete utmanats till att omvärdera och uppdatera ett plaggs egenskaper och genom samtal synliggjort individuella och kollektiva konsumtionsmönster. De har utifrån egna erfarenheter diskuterat plaggets relation till stilen och jaget och hur den relationen förändras över tid och i olika situationer. Tre primära diskurser framträder i studien där den första diskursen ringar in stilen som identitetsuttryck. Den andra placerar stiluttrycket i en konsumtionsdiskurs med hänsyn till identitet och grupptillhörighet. Den tredje sätter stil och identitetsuttryck i förhållande till hållbarhet samt etik och moral.

Comment un médecin peut-il devenir médecin-gestionnaire ? Un médecin peut-il même simplement devenir médecin-gestionnaire ? Cette thèse a pour vocation de mieux comprendre le phénomène de transition vers un rôle de médecin-gestionnaire, phénomène jugé difficile autant en pratique qu'en théorie. Celui-ci tend à se développer avec l'introduction de la gestion de la performance dans les organisations publiques européennes. Cette recherche prend comme illustration le rôle de responsable de pôle, nouveau rôle mêlant responsabilités médicales et gestionnaires, instauré au sein des hôpitaux publics français. Cette thèse s'articule autour de trois études menées de manière progressive. Une première étude envisage la transition de manière globale, en s'attachant à l'analyse des ajustements entre le médecin et son nouveau rôle. Elle est menée à partir d'une étude de cas et d'entretiens auprès de deux établissements de santé (un Centre Hospitalier Universitaire et un Centre Hospitalier) et de leurs 22 responsables de pôle. Elle met en avant l'importance de la dimension individuelle dans la transition analysée. Une deuxième étude se focalise sur l'influence de l'identification au rôle de médecin-gestionnaire sur la transition. Elle est menée à partir d'une étude de cas et d'entretiens auprès de 4 responsables de pôle d'un CHU et de leurs principaux collègues. Elle soulève l'effet de customisation de la posture d'identification au rôle sur la tenue de ce dernier. Une troisième étude s'oriente finalement sur le travail identitaire des médecins dans la tenue de leur rôle de médecin-gestionnaire. Elle est également menée à partir d'une étude de cas auprès des 4 mêmes responsables de pôle, mais au travers d'observations directes de leur comportement en réunion. Elle fait émerger l'importance de l'utilisation de l'identité en action pour tenir un rôle de médecin-gestionnaire. La thèse que nous défendons est que la transition vers un rôle de médecin-gestionnaire peut s'effectuer à partir d'ajustements et avec des postures d'identification variées, du moment que l'identité du médecin est retravaillée dans l'action. Nous conseillons aux établissements de santé de privilégier des dispositifs d'accompagnement personnalisés sur le terrain afin d'aider les médecins à comprendre la logique de leur rôle. / How can a doctor become a doctor-manager? Can a doctor even become a doctor-manager? This dissertation aims at better understanding the phenomenon of transition from a regular doctor role to a doctor-manager role, a transition that is experienced as difficult in practice and theory. This phenomenon tends to be developed with the spread of performance management within European public organizations. This research draws upon the example of the clinical director role, a new role in French public hospitals that is mixing both medical and managerial responsibilities. This dissertation is based on three progressive studies. A first study examines this transition with a global view by analyzing the adjustments between a doctor and his/her new role. It is carried out through a case study within two health care organizations (a teaching hospital and a hospital) and through interviews with their 22 clinical directors. This study shows the importance of the individual dimension for the transition to succeed. A second study focuses on the influence of role identification on the way a doctor-manager role is enacted. A case study and interviews with 4 clinical directors and their main colleagues within a teaching hospital are used to reach this goal. This study reveals the customization effect of identification on a doctor-manager role. A third and last study deeply focuses on the identity work of doctors in their enactment of a doctor-manager role. We address this issue by using a case study with the same 4 clinical directors, but through direct observations of their behavior during meetings. This study shows the importance of activating of identity into the context to enact a doctor-manager role. Finally, our main argument in this dissertation is that a transition to a doctor-manager role can be lead through various adjustments and identification situations, as long as identity is reworked during role enactment. We suggest to hospital directors to give priority to the use of field management tools oriented on personalization, in order to help doctors understand the logic of their roles.