How can you do it?: Dirty work and the challenge of constructing a positive identity

• 成果类型: Article; Proceedings Paper
• 署名作者: Ashforth, BE; Kreiner, GE
• 署名单位: Arizona State University; Arizona State University-Tempe
• 刊物名称: ACADEMY OF MANAGEMENT REVIEW
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0363-7425
• DOI: 10.5465/AMR.1999.2202129
• 发表日期: 1999
• 页码: 413-434
• 关键词: ORGANIZATIONAL SETTINGS; stigma; emotions

摘要

The identity literature suggests that the stigma of dirty work threatens the ability of occupational members to construct an esteem-enhancing social identity. However, research indicates much the opposite, creating a puzzle we attempt to answer. We argue that the stigma of dirty work fosters development of a strong occupational or workgroup culture, which fosters (1) ideological reframing, recalibrating, and refocusing and (2) selective social comparisons and differential weighting of outsiders' views. These defense mechanisms transform the meaning of dirt and moderate the impact of social perceptions of dirtiness.