Identity positioning for trust :a narrative analysis on consultant identity construction

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis uses narrative analysis to explore the ways by which consultants seek to improve theirperceived trustworthiness in initial client-consultant interactions. It is argued that consultants relyon identity-based trust perceptions by the clients and that this basis for trust can be favourablypresented, within certain constraints, through narrative positioning. This narrative positioning, inthe service of identity construction, is called identity positioning in the thesis.The thesis is situated in the literature on management consulting aimed at micro-level high-contactclient-consultant interactions. These kinds of interactions trade on trust and identity. The variousbases for trust are described, namely identity, structural, and dispositional based trust. Amongstthese three bases, identity trust is highlighted as the most dominant in the context of clientconsultantinteractions, especially in initial interactions where the consultant is unknown to theparticipants. It is to be expected in initial interactions that there will be a lot of scope for identityconstruction. A framework is then developed to relate identity construction and trust, which can beused as the basis for narrative positioning analysis. The framework consists of two dimensionsalong which identities can be positioned: social obligations and relational positioning latitude. It isargued that dispositional trust relates to relational positioning latitude, whereas structural bases oftrust relates to social obligations. Identity based trust therefore indicates where the consultant fitswithin the structural or dispositional bases of trust. It is then shown how context moderates whichof the trust bases will be dominant, and how this might manifest in the narrative of the consultant. Itprovides three general contexts, each leading to the emergence of a particular dominant basis fortrustworthiness perceptions by the clients. The particular case analysed in this thesis correlates to aspecific contexts within the framework. This context is where the consultant is unknown.The last part of the thesis illustrates the use of the framework and context as it guides the analysis ofa particular consultant's personal narrative during an initial interaction with clients. The analysis isthen repeated for the consultant's software product narrative. The structures of the two narratives arethen compared to show how the consultant also attempted to extend the identity-based trust to hissoftware product.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University