Damaged identities: Examining identity regulation and identity work of Gulf project managers

• The lack of research on the human side of project management results in a neglect of the impacts on project managers identities
• Project Management associations and offices regulate the identity of project managers through templates of the ideal project manager.
• Project life may prompt the PM to enter into significant identity work (forming, repairing, maintaining, strengthening or revising the self).
• When projects go awry the PM may experience a temporarily “damaged” identity causing them to reflect on their careers, and perhaps even change them.
• Associations and PMOs need to remain cognizant to these issues and provide necessary support to PMs who find themselves in tough project contexts.

Research on the human side of project management is largely overshadowed by its technically focused counter-part. This results in a dangerous neglect of the impacts of a demanding project life and project managers' efforts to construct and sustain a valuable and valued identity at work. In this study of one Middle Eastern IT company, drawing on project management guides, company documents and interview responses from project managers, we examine the regulation of project manager identity using the lens of ‘identity work’. We show that intense identity work can be triggered from project life within a challenging environment, and identify various coping strategies employed by the managers interviewed. In some cases, however, we found that these pressures may lead to the project manager experiencing a temporarily “damaged” self-identity. We discuss the practical implications arising from our analysis for project management associations and organizations alike, and opportunities for future research.