1: Challenging Identity Issues in the Public Sector: Opportunity or Threat?

1. Identity and Its Importance for Studying Organisations – 2. Public Sector Reforms and the Cage to Employees' Identity – 3. Framing of Identity Issues in the Public Sector: A Literature Review – 4. A Complex Approach to Identity: Discovering Threats, Struggles and Coping Behaviours – 5. The Contribution of Visual Methods for Enhancing Studies on Identity – 6. Final Remarks – 7. References

Understanding identity is crucial for a deep understanding of organisational life (Kenny, Whittle, & Willmott, 2011) because it relates to many key questions (e.g. Who am I? Who am I within my group of colleagues? Who am I in my organisation? How do I appear to other people and issues (gender, race, profession, religion, etc.)? (Kenny et al., 2011; Muir & Wetherell, 2010).