Conference Agenda

Identity remains a foundational construct in organizational research, yet dominant theories continue to draw primarily on modernist and postmodernist assumptions. In response to the enduring tension between these paradigms, metamodernism has emerged as a worldview that oscillates between their underlying logics. Despite its growing relevance, little is known about how metamodernism informs identity construction. The paper examines how metamodern identity construction differs from modern and postmodern identity constructions. How are stories told differently in modernism, postmodernism, and metamodernism? What do these forms of storytelling reveal about how humans are currently making sense of the world and thus their identities? Consequently, the paper advances a metamodern perspective on identity by theorizing two constitutive features: oscillation between multiplicities, which transcends the distinction between identity work and identity play, and informed naïveté, a stance that blends sincerity with reflexive irony. These features illuminate how individuals navigate conflicting values through a “structure of feeling” oriented toward an unattainable yet generative utopia. The paper critiques the limitations of existing identity theories, draws on dialogical self theory, and argues that metamodern identity is best studied through a dialogic approach, one that captures the tensions, ambivalences, and oscillations inherent in identity construction. Traditional narrative approaches, while valuable for exploring coherence and continuity, often struggle to account for the dynamic interplay between sincerity and irony, stability and flux. The paper also identifies authenticity and power relations as central concerns. Finally, the paper elaborates on modernism’s striving for utopia and relational being as two implicit elements of metamodernism that can generate tension, underscoring a key leadership role in managing this potential conflict.Together, these insights open new directions for theorizing identity in the metamodern era.