An Organization on Hold and Interim Leadership in Demand: A Case Study of Individual and Organizational Identity

Abstract

With such overall variety in leadership study, it is surprising that interim leadership has gone largely unnoticed in the literature. The present study addresses this gap in the organizational and leadership literatures by examining the implications of interim leadership on both individual and organizational identity. Using data from semi-structured, in-depth interviews of 24 interim leaders from an organization (“Interim U”), we found that the questions of “Who am I?” and “Who are we?” were heavily entangled in the individual-collective identity management discussion. This study examines the ways in which the identity of interim leaders are managed and enacted at Interim U, and how the individual and organizational identities reflexively interrelate.

Keywords:

• Identity Management
• Interim Leadership
• Organizational Identity
• Temporary Leadership

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Blair Browning

Blair W. Browning (PhD, Texas A&M University) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Baylor University.

Suzanne Boys

Suzanne E. Boys (PhD, Texas A&M University) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Cincinnati.