CALL FOR PAPERS
Corporate Reputation Review
Special Issue:
EXTENDING <st1:stockticker>AND</st1:stockticker> ADVANCING THEORIES
OF ORGANIZATIONAL IDENTITY
Deadline for submissions: <st1:date month="3" day="1" year="2007">March 1, 2007</st1:date>
Guest Editors:
Johan van Rekom, Erasmus University Rotterdam (jrekom@rsm.nl)
Davide Ravasi, Università Commerciale "Luigi Bocconi" (Davide.ravasi@unibocconi.it)
Kevin Corley, <st1:place><st1:placetype>University</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename>Illinois</st1:placename></st1:place> (Kevin.Corley@asu.edu)
Twenty years after the appearance of Albert and Whettens foundational work, research on organizational identity is still intense. Studies reflecting a diversity of applications of the concept, reaching into areas such as organizational behavior, strategy, human resource management, marketing and organizational reputation have considerably increased our understanding of identity-related phenomena in organizations. This intensification of research, however, seems to have corresponded with increasing conceptual heterogeneity. Despite extensive cross-citation, different epistemological and methodological approaches co-exist, reflecting different understandings of the concept of organizational identity. These differences are seldom fully acknowledged or dealt with in depth (Corley, Harquail, Pratt, Glynn, Fiol, & Hatch, In Press).
The long-term viability of the concept of organizational identity and its usefulness as a powerful explanatory framework will require scholars to recognize the differences across these perspectives. The field might greatly benefit from work showing how the different perspectives can be used together to provide a more complete picture of this complex phenomenon. We feel that the field needs further-going theoretical contributions that directly address the complexity around the concept of organizational identity. Metaphorically speaking, we need to construct solid bridges between the beautiful theoretical islands that have been developed so far.
The Corporate Reputation Review wants to offer a forum for this purpose. Thus, in this special issue we look for innovative contributions that extend current theories in the field of organizational identity by acknowledging and connecting different ontological and epistemological perspectives, bridging related but distinct constructs, and linking past findings ultimately facilitating the development of common theoretical understandings required for the further development of the field. Contributions are welcome that address core issues in organizational identity theory, including, but not limited to, the following:
Stability versus change
Current concepts of organizational identity tend to emphasize change at the expense of continuity, or vice versa. Theoretically, how can we reconcile different views and/or account for apparently contrasting empirical findings? How does the conceptualization of organizational identity as adaptively unstable relate to the notion of continuity over time?
Organizational identity and the environment
Past research has highlighted the multiple links between internal claims and interpretations and external representations and events. A comprehensive account of the internal-external dynamics, however is still missing. Under what conditions are organizational identities threatened? How do external occurrences trigger identity-related action or changes in members claims and interpretations?
Process versus thing
Is organizational identity a state at a certain point in time, or a continuing process? How would the two relate to each other? How do "identity beliefs" and "identity claims" provide different perspectives on the phenomenon? How might they be used together to further our understanding of organizational identity?
Similarities and differences
Some conceptions of organizational identity emphasize similarity to existing organizational forms and social categories. Others highlight uniqueness of organizational features. How can theorists conceptually deal with the tension between the elements of difference from and similarity to other organizations?
This special issue has a preference for conceptualizations of identity that are arguably organizational in nature (organizational identity rather than individual or group identity). Papers will be subject to double blind review following Corporate Reputation Reviews usual reviewing process. Authors should follow <st1:stockticker>CRR</st1:stockticker> guidelines as published in the journal. Submissions should be sent electronically in Word for Windows format to jrekom@rsm.nl. Alternatively, paper submissions can be sent in quadruplicate, along with a diskette copy of the manuscript (in Word for Windows format) to Johan van Rekom, Rotterdam School of Management, Department of Marketing Management, Room T10-018, <st1:address><st1:street>P.O. Box</st1:street> 1738</st1:address>, 3000 DR <st1:city><st1:place>Rotterdam</st1:place></st1:city>, The Netherlands.
Submissions should be received no later than <st1:date month="3" day="1" year="2007">March 1st 2007</st1:date>.
Reference:
Corley, K. G., Harquail, C. V., Pratt, M.G., Glynn, M.A., Fiol, C.M. and Hatch, M.J., 2006. Guiding organizational identity through aged adolescence. Journal of Management Inquiry, 15 (2): 85-99.