Radically Involved An explorative analysis of identity work in contemporary creative labour

A processual account and understanding of identities have become a highly relevant and productive topic in contemporary management and organisation studies since identity is key to developing an understanding of a range of individual and collective processes and outcomes. Instead of a stable aggregation, identity is understood as an ongoing accomplishment and as a set of multiple selves and narratives. Since it is essential for people to shape a coherent and distinctive notion of self-identity, while struggling with the various social identities which pertain to them, they employ identity work (Watson, 2008). The workplace in today's fluid times is seen by many as an arena for self-realisation while it confronts them with societal norms and organisational strategies. The notion of self-fulfilment through the job is especially apparent in the media and creative industries because the longing for self-expression constitutes the core of human creativity. Since there is a lack of studies addressing the interplay of identity work and strategy work in the creative sector, this thesis explores the current state of creative labour and creative identities. Through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with ten creative workers in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and The Hague, a fine-grained understanding of identity work and strategy work was developed. A mixed methodological approach, including aspects of grounded theory, phenomenology, and ethnography prepared and accompanied the interview data analysis. The analysis was carried out abductively through qualitative coding and mind-mapping. This process crystallised a multi-layered scheme of findings. Thus, identity- and strategy work processes were found on three levels: the microlevel (the individual), the mesolevel (the organisation), and the macrolevel (the societal and industry-specific context). Regarding the microlevel, it was found that creative workers indeed see creativity and thus their jobs as fundamental parts of their identities which leads to ongoing identity work in their organisational contexts. Many are intrinsically motivated, which can lead to a lack of personal distance to their work. Regarding the mesolevel it became clear that the creative agency is an environment that has extensive influence on a creative worker's identity work and play processes, for instance, through the extent to which the organisation culturally and operationally values creativity. Moreover, it became clear that especially younger creative workers enjoy being in a small team because it gives them room for individual development. On the macrolayer, some repercussions of neoliberalism seem to influence a creative's identity work. To illustrate, many respondents see their personal and professional goals as intertwined and seem to feel pressured always to deliver exceptional quality. Moreover, some influence factors immanent to the creative industries were found. The cultural and creative industries have specific entry barriers that can cause individual insecurities. Also, the nature of creative work was found to play a significant role in a creative's identity work. Since creative production is a compromise between art and service, the creative worker has to merge artistic and economic logics of practice. The interdiscursive approach of this study eventually paves the way for new research efforts beyond seeing identity and strategy matters as unified discourses.