Constructing Professional Identity: The Role of Work and Identity Learning Cycles in the Customization of Identity Among Medical Residents
2006/04/01 by Michael G. Pratt, Kevin W. Rockmann, Jeffrey B. Kaufmann · 1,925 citations
Business, Management and Accounting · Engineering · Psychology · Social Sciences · #Authentication (law) #Business #Computer science #Computer security #Engineering #Gender Diversity and Inequality #Identification (biology) #Identity (music) #Identity management #Job Satisfaction and Organizational Behavior #Knowledge management #Management and Organizational Studies #Marketing #Organizational commitment #Organizational identity #Personalization #Political science #Psychology #Public relations #Qualitative research #Social group #Social identity approach #Social identity theory #Social psychology #Social science #Sociology #Work (physics)
paper · doi:10.5465/amj.2006.20786060
published in Academy of Management Journal 49(2), 235-262 (Academy of Management)
openalex publication_date 2006/04/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04
Abstract
Through a six-year qualitative study of medical residents, we build theory about professional identity construction. We found that identity construction was triggered by work-identity integrity violations: an experienced mismatch between what physicians did and who they were. These violations were resolved through identity customization processes (enriching, patching, or splinting), which were part of interrelated identity and work learning cycles. Implications of our findings (e.g., for member identification) for both theory and practice are discussed.
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