| Organizations require the transfer of a great deal of embedded knowledge---ideas, policies, procedures, behaviors, and values---among members. This process is not always effectively framed by functional and structural views of organization. Such models also provide little insight as to why one organization creates a successful communities-of-practice and another fails.; In response, this research evaluated whether the concept of identity-in-organization---how members of an organization see the organization---provides a practical approach to the management of embedded knowledge and the support of future change. Fifteen professional aircraft maintenance managers of a federal Contract Maintenance Monitoring Team (CMMT) were interviewed on their views of the organization as collective entity. The research questions focused on: how meaning and perception are used by members to construct an identity-in-organization, how identity/performance interactions are used to define a community-of-practice, and what opportunities an articulated identity and identification provide for planned change---continuous process improvement.; The research found the following: inter-subjective interaction---the transition from 'I' thinking to 'we' thinking---allowed individuals to integrate desired internal identifications and to externally differentiate undesirable images to enhance their sense of belonging; identity processing was beyond the domain of any individual and was sustained by continuous group interaction, and members shared a vested interest in identity management. These concepts of identity/performance support effective managerial intervention, including the transfer of embedded knowledge and planned change.; The positive social impact of this research exposed a different way of seeing an organization capable of embracing contemporary complexities. Identity-in-organization is such a model and can provide valuable insight for planning, implementing, and evaluating organized social change. When applied to understanding organizational behavior, identity-in-organization may ultimately redefine our thinking about how individuals behave in such organizations. |
