Alternative conceptualizations and theoretical perspectives on identities and organizational cultures: A personal review of research on men in organizations

In recent years there have been extensive debates on both the social position of men, and the theoretical and practical significance of identity and organizational culture. To connect ‘men’, ‘identity’ and ‘organizational culture’ is both a very obvious thing to do and yet still rather unfamiliar. Its obviousness comes from the myriad ways that men and thus their associated identities often dominate and are formed by organizations and organizational cultures; its unfamiliarity comes from the fact that this connection is rarely made, and may indeed actively be avoided. In this chapter I review some of my recent research on gender, sexuality and organizations in terms of possible connections that can be recognized between men, identity and organizational culture. Significantly, much of this work has been collaborative with other researchers. Before addressing alternative conceptualizations and theoretical perspectives on these issues, some introductory remarks are necessary to set the scene.