Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för samhällsstudier (SS)
Abstract
Summary: The basis of this essay are taken from Goffmans (1959) theory about impression management. The theory is used to investigate the connection and the collision between separate roles. The purpose of this study is to examine when collision between the bosses professional role and their private role occur and to examine how they handle these collisions. The extent of this study is focused mainly on bosses who are living and working in small districts. The choice of definition is to make sure that the informants have actually experienced some degree of collision between their separate roles. The objective is to find out if bosses who are living and working in small districts can secure their anonymity and stay anonymous in public. A qualitative method is used for this study. And so called go-along interviews and focus Group interviews has been applied. The result of this study shows that bosses who are living and working in small districts are having trouble maintaining their anonymity. And therefore the most common choice made is to take up residence outside the work district. This is of great importance to be able to separate the professional role from the private and to maintain these two. The result clearly presents that collisions between the professional role and the private role are taking place and are quite common. Henceforth strategies are used by bosses in this study to facilitate and avoid collisions. Bosses is using dramaturgical caution, to avoid execution of actions that can´t be adjusted quickly. Bosses in the conducted study are experiencing that collisions themselves aren't problematic which leads to the conclusion that they have a high level of dramaturgical discipline. In conclusion the main objective of this study has been obtained and the questions has been answered from Goffmans perspective regarding impression management.
