Came across an essay by Barbara Park: Identity Construction and Organizational Deconstruction Building a Personal Sense of Identity and Allowing Organizational Chaos as Adaptive Measures Toward KM in the Information Age. She pulls together some interesting research and thinking by Margaret Wheatley and others. Here’s an excerpt:

These are uncertain times in which rapid change is making many demands upon individuals and organizations. This essay demonstrates that in letting go of an identification with organization, individuals move toward a deeper sense of personal identity. The self awareness and acceptance of diversity that can accompany this shift is complementary to post-bureaucratic organizational structures. Increasingly, the value of chaos, the admission of loss of control, is recognized as a precursor to an organizational structure that fosters creativity. In priorizing a trusting and open way of interacting in which shared goals are the focus, organizations and their members trade security for creativity.