Sensebreaking, sensemaking, and identity enacting: A qualitative study of Chinese migrant workers’ social identity trajectory

Abstract

This study examines the dynamic construction of migrant workers’ social identity in urban Chinese workplaces through an inductive qualitative approach involving 121 participants across a variety of sectors. The research identifies a tripartite identity framework consisting of the comparison self (reference groups and role models), the relational self (laoxiang, friends, and workplace), and the  reflexivity self (life planning, mianzi, and guanxi). It further demonstrates three developmental pathways: threat-focused survival strategies, opportunity-focused skill development, and closeness-focused belonging-seeking behaviors.The findings reveal how the dagongzhe identity emerges through the ongoing negotiation of multiple social positions and help organizations to better understand how migrant workers might think, feel, behave in different life phases. This study contributes to the literature on social identity, personal identification, and organizational behavior, particularly in the context of low-income and low-status groups navigating transitions and constant strains. It also offers practical implications for stage-specific policy interventions, organizational HR practices, and community-based cultural mediation programs aimed at improving the workplace well-being of migrant workers.