Managing fat bodies: Identity regulation between public and private domains

Abstract

This paper analyzes the relationship between public andprivate domains in contemporary Danish organizationsby examining their increasing focus on the personalhealth situation of employees, and, more specifically,their body weight. This paper combines literature onidentity and management with governmentality-inspiredresearch on risk, morality and the body. The aim of thispaper is to show that overweight people are perceived as“risk identities”, i.e. problem people who automaticallycall for personal management. The author demonstratesthat besides the unintended effect of categorizing overweightemployees as problem people, this managementgoal also run counter to the declared value regardingrespect for diversity in contemporary organizations.Based on in-depth interviews with managers and recordedtalks between health consultants and overweightemployees, this paper emphasizes processes thatsubordinate employees and restrict their autonomy.

Keywords

• obesity
• governmentality
• identity
• risk
• health
• organization