Classifying managerial responses to multiple organizational identities

We examine the phenomenon of multiple organizational identities and suggest that they can be managed in organizations by changing the number of (ident ity plurality) or relationships among (identity synergy) the identities. Us ing "plurality" and "synergy" as response dimensions, we offer a classifica tion scheme identifying four major types of managerial responses: compartme ntalization, deletion, integration, and aggregation. We also suggest severa l key conditions that may affect the use and appropriateness of these ident ity management responses and develop a series of propositions for research.