Kelan, Elisabeth K.Mah, Alice2017-01-132017-01-132012-05-16Elisabeth K. Kelan and Alice Mah. Gendered identification: between idealization and admiration. British Journal of Management, Volume 25, Issue 1, January 2014, pp91-1011045-3172http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8551.2012.00834.xhttp://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/11268While much of the literature on gender focuses on role models, this paper extends the understanding of gendered professional identification processes by exploring these processes through the lenses of idealization and admiration. Using the method of discourse analysis to analyse MBA students' accounts of people with whom they identify, this paper explores discourses of idealization, defined as aggrandizing a person, and of admiration, which means discussing positive as well as negative and neutral characteristics of a person. It is shown, first, that most male and female MBA students idealized the self-made ‘authentic’ CEO or founder of an organization and, second, that women mainly admired other women through naming their positive, neutral and negative attributes. The paper thereby adds to understanding of how gendered identification processes are structured by idealization and admiration.enAttribution-Non-Commercial 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC 3.0) You are free to: Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format, Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material. The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms. Under the following terms: Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. Information: Non-Commercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes. No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.AdmirationDiscourse AnalysisGenderIdealizationIdentificationArticle