Constructing, Maintaining, and Letting Go of a Performance-Based Identity in Professional Rugby.

Performance-based identity (i.e., defining oneself based on how well one performs on personally significant activities) has recently been theorized as a concept that could enhance our understanding of individuals in contemporary organizations. Through a qualitative study involving interviews with 21 professional rugby players based in Australia, I sought to investigate the empirical validity of performance-based identity as a concept, and explore how individuals construct, maintain, and eventually let go of this form of identity. The findings of the study provide empirical support for the concept of performance-based identity, and insights into the dynamics associated with it in organizational contexts. At a broader level, the findings both confirm and deepen our initial conceptual understanding of performance-based identity, thereby aligning our theoretical knowledge more closely with the actual work-related identities and associated experiences of individuals for whom performance is personally meaningful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]