Lyndon Garrett

My research interests revolve around the processes whereby people interactively co-construct their identities and relationships with each other in everyday interaction. I tend to apply a positive lens to my research, looking at how these interactive identity and relational processes influence such outcomes as thriving and meaningful work. I’m particularly interested in authenticity as it relates to relationships and identity in the workplace—how people come to see themselves, their colleagues, and their relationships as authentic. To explore these issues, I look for interesting contexts (e.g., coworking spaces, sports teams, ICU physicians, auto repair shops), and then I draw primarily on qualitative methods paired with micro-level analysis (e.g., conversation analysis) to capture subtle behaviors as they emerge through interaction and constitute social structure. One of my current research projects with Gretchen Spreitzer looks at how a group of independent workers works together to create a sense of community to increase feelings of belonging, mutual commitment and support. Another current project looks at how players on a sports team work together to create a sense of team, and how intra-team competition acts as a relational bonding mechanism.