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Abstract
This paper examines an increasingly popular yet underexplored form of organizational employment: internships. Drawing on interviews with 40 interns, this study explores the communicative tensions they faced and how two different groups of interns, satisfied versus dissatisfied, reported their responses to these tensions. Data revealed three key tensions that distinguished the two groups: identity work based on being an inexperienced student worker versus a competent employee, a focus on present versus future, and a preference for close versus distant supervision. The article discusses the implications of using different approaches to manage these tensions on identity work.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Danielle Foster and Kimberly Ngo for their assistance with data analysis, and Sharon Downey and two anonymous reviewers for their helpful suggestions that shaped the development of this article.
Notes
1. Participants’ full profiles are available upon request.