Douter sur soi au travail. Un moteur du travail identitaire dans le parcours professionnel

The article makes a significant contribution to the study of identity dynamics in the professional context by focusing on self-doubt as a central theme in the analysis. The authors provide a comprehensive overview of the work on identity and demonstrate the importance of developing a more constructive approach to self-doubt. They also emphasize that the links with the ethical dimensions of employees' professional trajectories are not adequately addressed. The research aims to address these gaps by employing Ricoeur's idem et ipse approach to the study of identity. The data collected from employees in the French social sector provides insights into the phenomenon of self-doubt, as expressed by employees in their individual work reports, without the influence of external directives. This scenario is distinct from that of the "struggler", who decline to address their employer's or colleagues' concerns regarding their capabilities and ethics. The article examines the tensions experienced by these workers, highlighting the multifaceted origins of self-doubt, which can arise from both introspective reflection and social interactions. He also reveals the links between identical development and professional trajectories, including those that are characterised by mobility or stability in one's career. In doing so, he rehabilitates the constructive role of self-doubt as a catalyst for personal identity development, illustrating the process's implementation in the intimate domain of professional experience. In conclusion, a cyclical model of the process of identity formation is proposed, integrating the self-doubt and self-affirmations that emerge in relation to the employee's professional life project, which is divided into three phases: distancing, renewal and reinforcement.