Dreaming of Flying When Grounded

Dreaming of Flying When Grounded: Occupational Identity and Occupational Fantasies of Furloughed Airline Pilots

Citation: raher AL, Gabriel Y. Dreaming of flying when grounded: Occupational identity and occupational fantasies of furloughed airline pilots. J Manage Stud. 2014;51(6):926-951.

The article investigates how job loss affects the occupational identity of a group of U.S. airline pilots who were furloughed twice during the decade following the 9/11 attacks. This study shows that for many airline pilots, a childhood dream of flying becomes a powerful identity anchor that helps sustain their self-concept through tough times—but when industry disruption grounds them, that same dream can trap them in limbo rather than help them adapt.