Creating the interviewer: identity work in the management research process

Abstract

This article examines identity dynamics in the qualitative research interview within the context of management research. It is argued that the identity of the interviewer is actively constructed through the interview process, and that the interview itself is a place where identity work takes place. Using a range of examples from the author’s own experience, the key factors that impact upon the mutual construction of identity, and the purposes of those constructions, are outlined. It is argued that identity work functions to decrease the ambiguity that surrounds the research interview.