ABSTRACT
This part introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters. The part considers individual identity with broader social processes in ways that centralize the role of relationships as an identity-constructing medium. It shows that individuals are affected by the positive relationships at work at least as much as they contribute to them and gain a large part of their identity from their experiences in the workplace. Positive relationships at work obviously have many components embodied at the individual and dyadic level. People are often able to achieve things through their relational connections that they cannot do alone, but it is also through relational membership that people acquire and evaluate knowledge or attitudes. The part indicates the ways in which mentoring can create a sense of reliable alliance and a friendship between a superior and the subordinate. It explains the ways in which relationships act as implicit persuaders in many interactions and social life.
