Chapter 3: Bridging Gaps in Organizations: Leaders as Entrepreneurs of Identity

Modern organizations are complex social systems that provide their members with a range of different social identities (e.g., as a member of a work team). Social identities (i.e., people’s sense of “we” and “us” derived from group memberships) determine who collaborates as well as how they collaborate and what they collaborate on. Social identities have the capacity not only to make organizations efficient and productive, but also to make them innovative and dynamic. In this chapter, we draw on the social identity approach to develop an analysis of the role leaders play as identity entrepreneurs in bridging gaps between individuals and groups in organizations. We examine how leaders’ rhetoric and actions serve to define both group boundaries and the meaning associated with those groups and explore the impact of this on organizational functioning. We also discuss various strategies that leaders can employ to create connections among individuals and groups by harnessing the power of shared social identity. We conclude by discussing how these efforts are more likely to be successful to the extent that leaders work with, and build upon, the social realities of those they want to lead.