Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

An emerging critical theme in the nascent field of corporate marketing and corporate identity is the identity/strategy dyad. However, little empirical research has been undertaken to explore such an interface in the field of marketing. This article reports a theory-building case study relating to identity and strategy during a period of environmental transformation. It was found that identity and strategy were perceived dissonant by senior managers under the presence of a strong industry-wide generic identity and associated perceived corporate strategy controversy. The study revealed that managers responded to such dissonance by means of attributing, self-legitimating and adjusting their perceptions of the organisation's identity and strategy.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Abell

D. F.

(1980), Defining the Business: The Starting Point of Strategic Planning, Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall.

Abratt

(1989), ‘A new approach to the corporate image management process’, Journal of Marketing Management, Vol. 5, pp. 63–76.

Albert

Ashforth

B. E.

and Dukerich

J. M.

(2000), ‘Organisational identity and identification: Charting new waters and building new bridges’, Academy of Management Review, Vol. 25, No. 1, pp. 13–17.

Albert

and Whetten

(1985), ‘Organisational identity’, in: C. L. L. and B. M. Staw (eds.), Research in Organisational Behaviour, Vol. 7, Greenwich, CT: JAI Press, pp. 263–295.

Ashforth

B. E.

and Mael

F. A.

(1996), ‘Organisational identity and strategy as a context for the individual’, in: Baum

J. A. C.

and Dutton

J. E.

(eds.), Advances in Strategic Management, Greenwich, CT, JAI Press. Vol. 13, pp. 19–64.

Balmer

J. M. T.

(1995), ‘Corporate branding and connoisseurship’, Journal of General Management, Vol. 21, No. 1, pp. 22–46.

Balmer

J. M. T.

(2001), ‘Corporate identity, corporate branding and corporate marketing – Seeing through the fog’, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 35, No. 3/4, pp. 248–291.

Balmer

J. M. T.

and Greyser

S. A.

(2002), ‘Managing the multiple identities of the corporation’, California Management Review, Vol. 44, No. 3, pp. 72–86.

Balmer

J. M. T.

and Greyser

S. A.

(2003), Revealing The Corporation: Perspectives on Identity, Image, Reputation, Corporate Branding, and Corporate-level Marketing, London: Routledge.

10.

Balmer

J. M. T.

and Soenen

G. M.

(1999), ‘The ACID Test of Corporate Identity Management’, Journal of Marketing Management, Vol. 15, No. 1–3, pp. 69–92.

11.

Balmer

J. M. T.

& Wilkinson

(1991) Building Societies: Change Strategy and Corporate Identity, Journal of General Management, 17 2, p. 20–34.

12.

Balmer

J. M. T.

and Wilson

(1998), ‘Corporate identity: there is more than meets the eye’, International Studies of Management and Organisation, Vol. 28, No. 3, pp. 12–31.

13.

Barney

and Stewart

A. C.

(2000), ‘Organisational Identity as Moral Philosophy: Competitive Implications for Diversified Corporations’, in: Schultz

Hatch

M. J.

and Larsen

M. H.

(eds.), The Expressive Organisation, New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 36–47.

14.

Bhattacharya

C. B.

and Sen

(2003), ‘Consumer-company identification: A framework for understanding consumers’ relationships with companies’, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 67, No. 2, pp. 76–88.

15.

Bick

Jacobson

M. C.

and Abratt

(2003), ‘The Corporate Identity Management Process Revisited’, Journal of Marketing Management, Vol. 19, pp. 835–855.

16.

Bouchikhi

and Kimberly

J. R.

(2003), ‘Escaping the identity trap’, MIT Sloan Management Review, Vol. 44, No. 3, pp. 20–26.

17.

Brown

A. D.

and Starkey

(2000), ‘Organisational identity and learning: A psychodynamic perspective’, Academy of Management Review, Vol. 25, No. 1, pp. 102–120.

18.

Brown

T. J.

Dacin

P. A.

Pratt

M. G.

and Whetten

D. A.

(2006), ‘Identity, Intended Image, Construed Image, and Reputation: An Interdisciplinary Framework and Suggested Terminology’, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Vol. 34, No. 2, pp. 99–106.

19.

Burgi

P. T.

and Roos

(2003). ‘Organisational identity, imagination, and strategy’, Working paper 14, Imagination Lab Foundation, www.imagilab.org/pdf/wp02/WP14.pdf

20.

Clapham

S. E.

and Schwenk

C. R.

(1991). ‘Self-serving attributions, managerial cognition, and company performance’, Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 12, No. 3, pp. 219–229.

21.

Corley

K. G.

and Gioia

D. A.

(2004), ‘Identity Ambiguity and Change in the Wake of a Corporate Spin-off’, Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol. 49, No. 2, pp. 173–208.

22.

Cornelissen

J. P.

(2002a), ‘On the ‘organisational identity’ metaphor’, British Journal of Management, Vol. 13, No. 3, pp. 259–268.

23.

Cornelissen

J. P.

(2002b), ‘The Merit and Mischief of Metaphor: A Reply to Gioia, Schultz and Corley’, British Journal of Management, Vol. 13, No. 3, pp. 277–280.

24.

Cornelissen

J. P.

and Harris

(2001), ‘The corporate identity metaphor: Perspectives, problems and prospects’, Journal of Marketing Management, Vol. 17, No. 1, pp. 49–71.

25.

Cornelissen

J. P.

Haslam

S. A.

and Balmer

J. M. T.

(2007), ‘Social Identity, Organizational Identity and Corporate Identity: Towards an Integrated Understanding of Processes, Patternings and Products’, British Journal of Management, Vol. 18, pp. 1–16.

26.

Drucker

P. F.

(1994), ‘The theory of the business’, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 72, No. 5, pp. 95–104.

27.

Dutton

J. E.

and Dukerich

J. M.

(1991), ‘Keeping an eye on the mirror: Image, and identity in organisational adaption’, Academy of Management Review, Vol. 34, pp. 517–554.

28.

Dutton

J. E.

Dukerich

J. M.

and Harquail

C. V.

(1994), ‘Organisational images and member identification’, Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol. 39, pp. 239–263.

29.

Dutton

J. E.

and Penner

W. J.

(1993), ‘The importance of organisational identity for strategic agenda building’, in: Hendry

Johnson

and Newton

(eds.), Strategic thinking: Leadership and the management of change, UK: John Wiley, pp. 89–113.

30.

Eisenhardt

K. M.

(1989), ‘Building theories from case study research,’ Academy of Management Review, Vol. 14, No. 4, pp. 532–550.

31.

Elsbach

K. D.

(1994), ‘Managing organisational legitimacy in the California cattle’, Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol. 39, No. 1, pp. 57–88.

32.

Elsbach

K. D.

and Kramer

R. M.

(1996), ‘Members’ responses to organisational identity threats: Encountering and countering the Business Week rankings’, Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol. 41, pp. 442–476.

33.

Fiol

C. M.

(2001), ‘Revisiting an identity-based view of sustainable competitive advantage’, Journal of Management, Vol. 27, No. 6, pp. 691–699.

34.

Fiol

C. M.

(2002), ‘Capitalizing on paradox: The role of language in transforming organisational identities’, Organisation Science, Vol. 13, No. 6, pp. 653–666.

35.

Foreman

and Whetten

D. A.

(2002), ‘Member's identification with multiple-identity organisations’, Organisation Science, Vol. 13, No. 6, pp. 618–635.

36.

Giddens

(1984), The constitution of society: Outline of the theory of structuration, Berkeley: University of California Press.

37.

Gioia

D. A.

(1998), ‘From individual to organisational identity’, in: Whetten

and Godfrey

(eds.), Identity in organisations: Building theory through conversations, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, pp. 17–31.

38.

Gioia

D. A.

Schultz

and Corley

(2000), ‘Organisational identity, image and adaptive instability,’ Academy of Management Review: Special Topic Forum on Identity and Identification, Vol. 25, No. 1, pp. 63–81.

39.

Gioia

D. A.

Schultz

and Corley

(2002a), ‘On celebrating the organisational identity metaphor: A rejoinder to Cornelissen’, British Journal of Management, Vol. 13, No. 3, pp. 269–276.

40.

Gioia

D. A.

Schultz

and Corley

(2002b), ‘Metaphorical shadow boxing: A response to Cornelissen's reply to our rejoinder’, British Journal of Management, Vol. 13, No. 3, pp. 281–281.

41.

Gioia

D. A.

and Thomas

J. B.

(1996), ‘Identity, image, and issue interpretation: Sensemaking during strategic change in academia’, Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol. 41, pp. 370–403.

42.

Glaser

and Strauss

(1967), The Discovery of Grounded Theory, Chicago: Aldine.

43.

Glynn

M. A.

(2000), ‘When Cymbals Become Symbols: Conflict Over Organisational Identity Within a Symphony Orchestra’, Organisation Studies, Vol. 11, pp. 285–298.

44.

Hambrick

D. C.

and Mason

P. A.

(1984), ‘Upper echelons: the organisation as a reflection of its top managers’, Academy of Management Review, Vol. 9, pp. 193–206.

45.

Haslam

S. A.

Postmes

and Ellemers

(2003), ‘More than a Metaphor: Organisational Identity Makes Organisational Life Possible’, British Journal of Management, Vol. 14,pp. 357.

46.

Hatch

M. J.

and Schultz

(2000), ‘Scaling the Tower of Babel: relational differences between identity, image, and culture in organisations’, in: Schultz

, Hatch

M. J.

and Larsen

M. H.

(eds.), The expressive organisation, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

47.

Hatch

M. J.

and Schultz

(2002), ‘The dynamics of organisational identity’, Human Relations, Vol. 55, No. 8, pp. 989–1018.

48.

and Balmer

J. M. T.

(2007), ‘Identity studies: multiple perspectives and implications for corporate-level marketing’, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 41, No. 7/8, pp. 765–85.

49.

Heider

(1958), The Psychology of Interpersonal Relations, New York: Wiley.

50.

Kogut

and Zander

(1996), ‘What firms do? Coordination, identity, and learning’, Organisation Science, Vol. 7, No. 5, pp. 502–518.

51.

Lant

T. K.

Milliken

F. J.

and Batra

(1992), ‘The role of managerial learning and interpretation in strategic persistence and reorientation’, Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 13, pp. 585–608.

52.

Lincoln

and Guba

(1985), Naturalistic Inquiry, Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.

53.

Lounsbury

and Glynn

M. A.

(2001), ‘Cultural entrepreneurship: Stories, legitimacy, and the acquisition of resources’, Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 22, No. 6/7, pp. 545–564.

54.

Marwick

and Fill

(1997), ‘Towards a framework for managing corporate identity’, European Journal of Marketing, Special Issue on Corporate Identity, Vol. 31, No. 5–6, pp. 396–409.

55.

Melewar

T. C.

(2000), ‘The role of corporate identity in merger and acquisition activity’, Journal of General Management, Vol. 26, No. 2, pp. 17–31

56.

Melewar

T. C.

Karaosmanoglu

, and Paterson

(2005), ‘Corporate identity: concept, components and contribution’, Journal of General Management, Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 59–81.

57.

Miles

M. B.

and Huberman

A. M.

(1994), Qualitative Data Analysis: An expanded sourcebook, Thousand Oaks, California: Sage.

58.

Mintzberg

Ahlstrand

and Lampel

(1998), Strategy Safari – A Guided Tour through the Wilds of Strategic Management, New York: The Free Press

59.

Olins

(1978), The Corporate Personality: An Inquiry into the Nature of Corporate Identity, London: Design Council.

60.

Olins

(1989), Corporate identity: Making business strategy visible through design, Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

61.

Olins

(1995), The new guide to identity, London: Gower.

62.

Partington

(2000), ‘Building grounded theories of management action’, British Journal of Management, Vol. 11, pp. 91–102.

63.

Prahalad

C. K.

and Bettis

(1986), ‘The dominant logic: A new linkage between diversity and performance’, Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 7, pp. 485–502.

64.

Pratt

M. G.

and Foreman

P. O.

(2000), ‘Classifying managerial Responses to multiple organisational identities’, Academy of Management Review, Vol. 25, No. 1, pp. 18–42.

65.

Pratt

M. G.

and Rafaeli

(1997), ‘Organisational dress as a symbol of multilayered social identities’, Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 40, pp. 862–898.

66.

Reger

R. K.

Gustafson

L. T.

Demarie

S. M.

and Mullane

J. V.

(1994), ‘Reframing the organisation: why implementing total quality is easier said than done’, Academy of Management Review, Vol. 19, pp. 565–84.

67.

Ross (1977), ‘The intuitive psychologist and his shortcomings’, in: Berkowitz

(ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology, Vol. 10, New York: Academic, pp. 174–220.

68.

Sarason

(1995), ‘A model of organisational transformation: The incorporation of organisational identity into a structuration theory framework’, Academy of Management Journal Special Volume/Issue: Best Papers Proceedings, pp. 47–52.

69.

Simoes

Dibb

and Fisk

P. R.

(2005), ‘Managing Corporate Identity: An Internal Perspective’, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Vol. 33, No. 2, pp. 153–168.

70.

Stimpert

J. L.

Gustafson

L. T.

and Yolanda

(1998), ‘Organisational identity within the strategic management conversation: contribution and assumption’, in: Whetten

and Godfrey

(eds.), Identity in Organisations: Building Theory Through Conversations, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, pp. 83–98.

71.

Strauss

and Corbin

(1998), Basics of Qualitative Research: Techniques and Procedures for Developing Grounded Theory, London: Sage.

72.

Stuart

(1999), ‘Towards a definitive model of the corporate identity management process’, Corporate Communications, Vol. 4, No. 4, pp. 200–207

73.

Suchman

M. C.

(1995), ‘Managing legitimacy: Strategic and institutional approaches’, Academy of Management Review, Vol. 20, No. 3, pp. 571–610.

74.

Taylor

S. E.

and Brown

J. D.

(1988), ‘Illusion and well-being: a social psychological perspective on mental health’, Psychological Bulletin, Vol. 103, No. 2, pp. 193–210.

75.

Van Riel

C. B.

(1995), Principles of Corporate Communication, Hemel Hempstead, UK: Prentice Hall.

76.

Van Riel

C. B.

and Balmer

J. M. T.

(1997), ‘Corporate identity: The concept, its measurement, and management’, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 31, pp. 341–355.

77.

Van Riel

C. B.

and Van den Ban

(2001), ‘The added value of corporate logos – An empirical study’, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 35, pp. 428–440.

78.

Whetten

D. A.

and Godfrey

(eds.), (1998), Identity in organisations: Building theory through conversations, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

79.

Whetten

D. A.

and Mackey

(2002), ‘A social actor conception of organisational identity and its implications for the study of organisational reputation’, Business and Society, Vol. 41, No. 4,pp. 393.

80.

Yin

R. K.

(1994), Case Study Research: Design and Methods, Thousand Oaks: Sage.

Perceived Corporate Identity/Strategy Dissonance: Triggers and Managerial Responses

Abstract

Get full access to this article

References