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The Process of Organizational Identity Construction in Iterative Organizations

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Abstract

Recognizing that organizational identity construction (OIC) is inherently challenging in its own right, we examine the case where this is an ongoing, repeating process. In what we call iterative organizations, wherein the structure and activities of the organization are episodic in nature, the OIC process is repeated indefinitely. We explore the phenomena of organizational identity and the identity construction process in iterative organizations, focusing in particular on the role that discontinuity plays in shaping the identity of the organization. Through the use of five organizational vignettes, representing a range of structural discontinuity, we develop a general framework of OIC in iterative organizations, specifically highlighting the effects of the institutional setting on the process. We extrapolate from this conceptual framework built on iterative organizations to articulate several theoretical and practical implications for organizational identity and identity creation in broader organizational contexts.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the editors and several anonymous reviewers for helpful comments on this and prior versions of the manuscript. We are especially grateful to David Whetten and Samia Chreim for many insights and suggestions, and to our action editor Kevin Corley for his incredible patience and invaluable guidance throughout the process. Earlier versions of this manuscript were presented at the Academy of Management Meetings and the Research Centre for Sport in Canadian Society.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Illinois State University, College of Business, Normal, Illinois, IL, USA

    Peter O Foreman

  2. University of Ottawa, School of Human Kinetics, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

    Milena M Parent

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  1. Peter O Foreman
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  2. Milena M Parent
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Foreman, P., Parent, M. The Process of Organizational Identity Construction in Iterative Organizations. Corp Reputation Rev 11, 222–244 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1057/crr.2008.23

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