12356: Managing Unwanted Identities: Minimizing, Hiding, or Deleting Identities in the Workplace

Friday, July 25, 2025

08:00 - 10:30 CEST (GMT+2)

Location: Bella Center: Hall B- B6-m3

Session Type: PDW (workshop)
Orientation: Research,Diversity
Shareable link: https://cdmcd.co/ar4MPK

Moderator(s)

MS

Mary Miata Struzska-Tyamayev

Boston College, United States

Organizer(s)

MP

Michael G. Pratt

Boston College, United States

Presenter(s)

WJ

Winnie Jiang

INSEAD, Singapore
MT

Madeline Toubiana

Telfer School of Management, U. of Ottawa, Canada
HV

Heather Ciara Vough

George Mason U., United States
BW

Benjamin Webster Walker

Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand

While much of the identity work literature research has explored how individuals enhance or add to desirable aspects of their identity, significantly less attention has been given to managing unwanted identities. Unwanted identities are aspects of the self that are either rejected by the individual due to personal misalignment and/or are deemed undesirable by external parties. In this PDW, we aim to deepen our understanding of how individuals manage or discard identities that no longer align with their values or circumstances. The workshop will facilitate expert-led discussions to explore strategies for studying unwanted identities effectively. By bringing together a diverse group of scholars, this session will provide insights into how individuals navigate identity challenges within organizations and other professional environments.