Moments of Truth by Dana Yagil and Hana Medler-Liraz - Assignment Example

Articulating Identities: A Comparative Analysis Name Course Code Course Instructor Date Introduction In their research paper “Moments Of Truth: Examining Transient Authenticity and Identity in Service Encounters,” Dana Yagil and Hana Medler-Liraz (2013) explore the ephemeral authenticity that service employees exhibit when they interact with customers. Their objective was to present a model of authenticity that starts with the outstanding non-service identity of customers and how employees get to identify with their tasks, which enable employees to have a sense of autonomy. In Ybema’s et al. (2009) research article “Articulating identities,” the researchers based their study on the idea a major indicator of individualism in the society is the pursuit for ‘identity’. Their objective was to expand the narratives of inform identity research. This paper formulates a critical comparative analysis of the two research articles, with particular focus on their different frames of reference, thesis, and links to thesis. It is argued that ‘identity construction’ is complex, and may be conceptualised as a complex process that brings about a socially negotiated outcome, which may also result from self-expression and labelling by others. Thesis statement As is construed from their differing thesis statement, both articles attempted to inform research on identity. Yagil and Medler-Liraz argue that such psychological autonomy improves how the employees express authenticity through the behaviours, although such expression stands to bring about costs associated with loss of resources. In their view, authenticity is demonstrated in unpremeditated honesty, consideration of tasks as personal endeavours, and showing typical interpersonal intimacy to customers. Their thesis statement appear to be consistent with the argument that authenticity is an important constituent of psychological well-being, which Ilies et al. (2005) had earlier proposed. To support their thesis, Yagil and Medler-Liraz further argue that inability to satisfy the basic need of authenticity, as well as losing touch with true self potentially causes significant emotional disorder. Vallerand (2012) agrees that authenticity is crucial for psychological well-being and identity construction. Using a similar perspective, Yagil and Medler-Liraz sought to prove the hypothesis that the non-service identity characteristics of customers and a tendency of employees to identify with their tasks increase psychological autonomy. This sense of autonomy, sequentially, increases authentic behaviours that may entail costs, which are because of the inconsistency of behaviours, with the expectations of customers and the organisation. In Yagil and Medler-Liraz’s research, therefore, the experiences of momentary authenticity among service employees can be understood. On the other hand, Ybema’s et al. central argument is that, although social agents who pursue ‘identity’ employ a variety of discursive resources, it is the range of ‘self–other’ talk that come about as an important constituent in processes of forming identity. The dichotomy that these self–other talk express could be perceived as discursive manifestations of elemental relationship between a person and the society. In Ybema’s et al. research, therefore, the relationship between a person and the society in identity construction can be understood. Soundness of research methods In addition to being driven by different research objectives, the articles used different research methods. Yagil and Medler-Liraz appear to have used more authentic and reliable research methods. They used a grounded theory approach to explore into the issue of authenticity in service employees using a qualitative research method to carry out their research. They analysed employees’ momentary instances of authenticity that provide an insight into how they differently express their true selves depending on situations. Essentially, they needed to understand what would trigger employees’ authentic self-expression while interacting with customers, yet organisations train them to behave “inauthentically.” They also need to determine how employees experience and demonstrate their true selves and what authenticity would cost employees pretence in the norm. Ybema’s et al. research methods are not necessarily reliable, as no active field research was undertaken. Rather than undertake a field research to investigate their research phenomenon like Yagil and Medler-Liraz did, Ybema et al. instead resorted to use document analysis method to examine different articles that provided them with a ‘rich’ discursive resource. By relying on these articles, they developed a supplementary reading of the narratives that seem to inform identity research. Theoretical frameworks Both articles employed a range of theoretical frameworks using varied forms of discourse analysis. They both reviewed the notion of identity and its theoretical implications, and delineate the analytical prospects of the discursive perspective in identity studies and explore a range of analytic themes. For instance, Ybema’s et al. explores range of articles that appeared to inform identity research to ‘construct identity within organisations’ and look into how organisational actors demonstrate their identities to each other, as well as to themselves and reveal the manner in which dissimilar discursive forms, including narrative, storytelling, autobiography, and day by day interactions to show how people shape and reconstruct their identities. Yagil and Medler-Liraz’s study attempts to advance a balanced perspective of employees’ self-expression, which considers the implications of regulations in organisations and humanistic theories, which shows the significance of considering the diverse implications of the tensions between the opposing factors. Indeed, as earlier discussed by Andreouli (2010), theoretical framework on people’ self-expression, forms the basis for identity construction. Zhao et al. (2008) agree with this idea. Links to thesis Need for reflexivity in discursive analyses of identity Unlike Yagil and Medler-Liraz, however, Ybema’s et al. explore some fundamental concerns that seem to inform research on identity. For instance, Ybema’s et al. explore a common methodological understanding of a need for reflexivity in discursive analyses of identity. They also explore into the central issue that appears to present an underlying inter-textual theoretical framework, which connects all the articles explored. An example includes the agency– structure issue. This is lacking in Yagil and Medler-Liraz’s article. It is based on these two methods of article synthesis that Ybema et al. are able to come to an understanding that the link between agency and structure is major problem facing organisational analysis in general. A similar perspective was earlier shared by Reed (2003). Based on this perspective, Ybema et al. manage to come to a conclusion that since the variable of ‘identity’ seems to express the link between an individual and the society, an attempt to create the parameters of identity are likely to raise analytic concerns whose origins can be found in the agency–structure discourse. In their discussion of results section, Yagil and Medler-Liraz discuss that momentary authenticity in service roles is linked to the implications of the non-service social domain on service experiences when customers’ non-service identity characteristics seen outstanding to employees, as well as when employees get to identify with their tasks. They also discuss that authenticity materialises as psychological autonomy, as well as becomes articulated as honesty, perceiving the tasks as personal interests, and closely and interpersonally interacting with the customers. In the self-expressions, service employees tend to witness loss of control, a feeling to being disloyal to their organisation, as well as a feeling of being socially rejected by customers. There is a consensus by scholars of self and social identity that in identity construction, an individual has to act in agreement with true self, where one expresses oneself in manners that appear to be in harmony with inner feelings and thoughts (Batory 2010; Lappegard 2007; Fearon 1999). Identity as continually undergoing construction Both articles show how the social processes associated with formation of identity are intricate, reflexive, recursive, as well as continually undergoing construction. For instance, Ybema et al. demonstrates how the manifestation of stability in an ‘identity’ is essentially a momentary exploit. A similar perspective is shared by Yagil and Medler-Liraz, when they contend that employees’ momentary instances of authenticity provide an insight into how they differently express their real identities depending on situations. Ybema et al., on the other hand, discuss that discursive construction and re-construction come about as continuous processed while stability manifests itself as a momentary accomplishment. Yagil and Medler-Liraz established that in the event that the non-service identity characteristics of customers are outstanding, or when employees identify with their service assignment, psychological autonomy comes about, which also brings about expression of authenticity in employee’s behaviour when they interact with customers. As earlier discussed by Ochs (1993) authentic behaviours may portend personal costs for employees who provide services to customers, although this depends on the extent to which it departs from customer’s ad organisational expectations. Again, from Coover and Murphy’s (2015) review, it is clear that both articles agree that ‘identity construction’ may be conceptualised as a complex process that brings about a socially negotiated outcome, which may also result from self-expression and labelling by others. Arguments on focused and diversified description of self Both articles disagree on the issue of focused and diversified description of self. Yagil and Medler-Liraz concentrated in social identification processes within organisations, with special emphasis on the relationship between service employees and customers. As can be construed from Yagil and Medler-Liraz’s work, it is clear that their approach to the subject of identity tended to take notice of self-definitions yet appeared to neglect an understanding of the subject of identity as can be construed from the wider society. It appears their approach to the subject of identity was limited to an understanding developed from one person or identical groups of people in an organisation. They, therefore, took sides in the discourse on identity, and failed to view identity to be a dynamic process of discursive “work” proportionate to what the wider society would say about identity. On the other hand, Ybema’s et al. tended to provide wider description of self, in addition to the effects of multiple institutions and macro-discourses, as well as multiple social actors who shared certain subject positions on the issue of self-construction. Indeed, Webb (2004) appears to be against the idea of social construction of identity within the delimitations of an organisation. Jenkins (2004) shares a similar view when they discuss that ‘readings’ of individual identity should ‘be balanced with the wider contexts to prevent narrow-minded pitfalls. Similarly, Ybema et al. discuss that studies on the subject of identity need to take notice of self-definitions, as well as the definitions suggested by others from the wider society, as identity is not only limited to an issue of being subject to one person or identical groups of people or taking sides in a discourse, but also on dynamic process of discursive “work” proportionate to many people in the wider society. Essentially, subject of identity is complex as it may require adoption of a range of organisational discourse, including management discussion, cultural discourses, professional rhetoric, as well as day-by-day talk by people on the streets (Breakwell 2010). The subject of identity should be approached by in-depth perspective of intricacies that inform the processes of identity construction within the contexts of organisations and the wider society (Chryssochoou 2003). Identity construction Ybema et al. and Yagil and Medler-Liraz seem not to agree that identity construction is an outcome of internal and external definitions, whether personal or social. In particular, Ybema et al., unlike Yagil and Medler-Liraz, approached the subject of identity construction from a theoretical viewpoint where for an individual, identity construction is made up of processes where social actors and organisations have to negotiate among themselves and others in the wider society, as well as between previous experiences and present experiences. It should, therefore, be observed that Yagil and Medler-Liraz, approached the subject of identity construction from a limited viewpoint of individual service employees and considered identity to be consisting of a process where customers, rather than the wider society, negotiate with the service employees, as well as between transitory experiences rather than past and present experiences. What should, therefore, be observed at this point is that identity construction should not be considered strictly from a transitory or ephemeral moment, as Yagil and Medler-Liraz approached it. Rather, it should be approached from people experiences in the past and at present. Indeed, this idea was earlier shared by Jenkins (2004) when he argued that identity results from the continuous experiences of self and society dynamic, and is simultaneously what an individual and the wider society expresses, as well as what an individual and the wider society perceives, and is, therefore, constructed among a communicator and his or her audience. According to Howarth (2002), identity construction is an outcome of internal and external definitions, whether personal or social. Indeed, Ybema et al. discusses that social identities is conjectured as determined by the expressions of both the agency and structure and plays out in varied forms in diverse discursive spheres and in past and present, or chronological, instances. Based, on this perspective, Ybema et al. argued that individuals are likely to perceive their selves, for instance, within the context of a ‘conversation’ among internal perceptions, thoughts and wishes, as well as external perceptions and evaluation. They explained that this could be the reason empirical analyses at time demonstrated a baffling array of situational factors that influence identity formation. In the end, it should be clarified that Ybema et al. would view Yagil and Medler-Liraz’s narrow approach to identity limited to the ‘present’ or ‘ephemeral’ interaction between a service employee and a customer as inexcusable, as identity construction is made up of processes where social actors and organisations have to negotiate among themselves and others in the wider society, as well as their previous experiences and present experiences. Identity as embracing a range of methods and approaches Both articles agree on the discursive analysis of identity as embracing a range of methods and approaches, yet to the least extent, the discursive perspective may frame identity to be made up through the practice of self-expression. It appears this is the reason Ybema et al. explained that discursive analyses of identity construction results from the use of a diversity of approaches, as well as discursive points of view that structure identity as an outcome of “situated practice of writing and talking” (p.303). On the other hand, Yagil and Medler-Liraz argues that identity can be demonstrated by how the employees express authenticity through their behaviours. In their view, authenticity is demonstrated in unpremeditated honesty, consideration of tasks as personal endeavours, and showing typical interpersonal intimacy to customers. In related literature regarding the contention that discursive analysis of identity embrace a range of methods and approaches, as well as frame identity based on the practice of expression, Hardy et al. (2005) argue that this shows that the identity is customarily an identity discourse. Ybel et al shared the same idea in their different analyses of identity. In a related literature, Clegg et al. (2007) observed that what can be construed to be common in many approaches to identity is the tendency to analyse the ‘core constructs of self-expression that members of an organisation individually or jointly uses to accomplish ‘identity’. Conclusion The articles by Yagil and Medler-Liraz (2013) and Ybema et al. (2009) attempted to inform research on identity. From their analysis, it is established that ‘identity construction’ may be conceptualised as a complex process that brings about a socially negotiated outcome, which may also result from self-expression and labelling by others. Additionally, it becomes clear that social processes associated with formation of identity are intricate, reflexive, recursive, as well as continually undergoing construction. Essentially, the subject of identity is complex as it may require adoption of a range of organisational discourse, including management discussion, cultural discourses, professional rhetoric, as well as day-by-day talk by people on the streets. In Yagil and Medler-Liraz’s research, therefore, the experiences of momentary authenticity among service employees can be understood. On the other hand, in Ybema’s et al. research, therefore, the relationship between a person and the society in identity construction can be understood. Yagil and Medler-Liraz appear to have used more authentic and reliable research methods, although his approach to identity was limited to customer service employees and customers. 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