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Being Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: Role-Based Identity Foils in Organizational Life

Author

Listed:
  • Blake E. Ashforth

    (W. P. Carey School of Business, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287)

  • Beth S. Schinoff

    (Carroll School of Management, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467; Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716;)

  • Kristie M. Rogers

    (College of Business Administration, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201)

  • Donald Lange

    (W. P. Carey School of Business, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287)

Abstract

Soldier-medic. Undercover police officer. Collaborative divorce attorney. Certain jobs require an individual to enact antithetical sets of role expectations (to do X and not-X ), such as saving a life and taking a life, in the case of a soldier-medic. Despite their important consequences, we lack a unifying framework for such antithetical expectations and their implied identity foils — where one is expected to be both Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (a life-saver and a life-taker). To this end, we build theory on how and why antithetical expectations and their implied identity foils arise in organizations. We offer a model of the responses through which individuals tend to manage these seemingly impossible binds—avoidance, favoritism, gray compromise, black-and-white compromise, and holism—and discuss the conditions under which a given response is likely. We conclude that this respective order of responses predicts more positive outcomes (i.e., clarifying the identities, fostering resources, enabling complementary or synergistic solutions) and less negative outcomes (i.e., impaired jobholder performance and credibility, increased cynicism) for individuals and their organizations. We theorize that, given certain conditions, the extreme role-based conflict caused by identity foils is best addressed by the response of holism.

Suggested Citation

  • Blake E. Ashforth & Beth S. Schinoff & Kristie M. Rogers & Donald Lange, 2024. "Being Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: Role-Based Identity Foils in Organizational Life," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 35(1), pages 232-258, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ororsc:v:35:y:2024:i:1:p:232-258
    DOI: 10.1287/orsc.2023.1666
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    References listed on IDEAS

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