Refereed journal article or data article (A1)
Flexible Use of Referents in the Construction of Organizational Identity: A Longitudinal Case Study
List of Authors: Laurila Juha, Paalumäki Anni
Publisher: Sage
Publication year: 2022
Journal: Journal of Management Inquiry
Start page: 405
End page: 422
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10564926211031288
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/66385705
Rapid growth, acquisitions, and diversification are examples of major changes that often result in the need to redefine the distinctive characteristics of the organization in question thereafter. However, a sudden identity presentation that significantly differs from the past lacks credibility among both the organizational members and the organization’s external constituents. We contribute to previous research by showing the previously neglected potential that lies in the flexible selection, valuation, and spatio-temporal positioning of referents, and how this enables the construction of an identity that is simultaneously sufficiently congruent with the organization’s present activities and continuous with its previous identity. Moreover, we also reveal how this use of referents changes across the phases of organizational evolution. Empirically, our findings are grounded on an intensive case study of an organization over a 20-year time frame that evolved from a minor spin-off to a prominent and eventually to a major diversified company.
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