IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jbrese/v109y2020icp413-424.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Corporate identity orientation and disorientation: A complexity theory perspective

Author

Listed:
  • Devereux, Luke
  • Melewar, T.C.
  • Dinnie, Keith
  • Lange, Thomas

Abstract

The importance of corporate identity to organizations is increasing, which has led to the conceptualisation of corporate identity orientation. This paper challenges existing thinking by suggesting that if corporate identity orientation exists, so could corporate identity disorientation. Using a complexity theory perspective this conceptual paper explores how orientation/disorientation could emerge, and how the two could be related. The paper concludes that a combination of orientation and disorientation could be beneficial for corporate identity development, and that disorientation need not be wholly negative. This is relevant because the environment organizations find themselves in increasingly causes identity disorientation, so exploring this further helps address this crucial issue. As such, this paper opens new directions for researchers to look at corporate identity development, and also for practitioners to embrace elements of disorientation and how it may help unlock new opportunities.

Suggested Citation

  • Devereux, Luke & Melewar, T.C. & Dinnie, Keith & Lange, Thomas, 2020. "Corporate identity orientation and disorientation: A complexity theory perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 413-424.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:109:y:2020:i:c:p:413-424
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.09.048
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296319305612
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.09.048?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Luke Devereux & T. C. Melewar & Pantea Foroudi, 2017. "Corporate Identity and Social Media: Existence and Extension of the Organization," International Studies of Management & Organization, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 47(2), pages 110-134, April.
    2. Yuanyuan Zhao, 2014. "Interpreting Innovation Dynamics with Complexity Theory," International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management (IJITM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 11(05), pages 1-18.
    3. Rand, William & Rust, Roland T., 2011. "Agent-based modeling in marketing: Guidelines for rigor," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 181-193.
    4. Philip Anderson, 1999. "Perspective: Complexity Theory and Organization Science," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 10(3), pages 216-232, June.
    5. Max Boisot & John Child, 1999. "Organizations as Adaptive Systems in Complex Environments: The Case of China," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 10(3), pages 237-252, June.
    6. Tim Blackman, 2013. "Rethinking policy-related research: charting a path using qualitative comparative analysis and complexity theory," Contemporary Social Science, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(3), pages 333-345, November.
    7. Woodside, Arch G., 2014. "Embrace•perform•model: Complexity theory, contrarian case analysis, and multiple realities," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(12), pages 2495-2503.
    8. Chahrazad Abdallah & Ann Langley, 2014. "The Double Edge of Ambiguity in Strategic Planning," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(2), pages 235-264, March.
    9. Burghausen, Mario & Balmer, John M.T., 2014. "Corporate heritage identity management and the multi-modal implementation of a corporate heritage identity," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(11), pages 2311-2323.
    10. Benoit Morel & Rangaraj Ramanujam, 1999. "Through the Looking Glass of Complexity: The Dynamics of Organizations as Adaptive and Evolving Systems," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 10(3), pages 278-293, June.
    11. Haridimos Tsoukas & Robert Chia, 2002. "On Organizational Becoming: Rethinking Organizational Change," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 13(5), pages 567-582, October.
    12. Guillaume Soenen & J. Balmer, 1999. "The ACID test of corporate identity management," Post-Print hal-02312896, HAL.
    13. Zi-Lin He & Poh-Kam Wong, 2004. "Exploration vs. Exploitation: An Empirical Test of the Ambidexterity Hypothesis," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 15(4), pages 481-494, August.
    14. Gedajlovic, Eric & Cao, Qing & Zhang, Hongping, 2012. "Corporate shareholdings and organizational ambidexterity in high-tech SMEs: Evidence from a transitional economy," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 27(6), pages 652-665.
    15. Peter Foreman & David A. Whetten, 2002. "Members' Identification with Multiple-Identity Organizations," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 13(6), pages 618-635, December.
    16. Sammut-Bonnici, Tanya & Wensley, Robin, 2002. "Darwinism, probability and complexity: market- based organizational transformation and change explained through the theories of evolution," MPRA Paper 50979, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    17. Wohlgemuth, Veit & Wenzel, Matthias, 2016. "Dynamic capabilities and routinization," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(5), pages 1944-1948.
    18. Boulton, Jean G. & Allen, Peter M. & Bowman, Cliff, 2015. "Embracing Complexity: Strategic Perspectives for an Age of Turbulence," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199565269, Decembrie.
    19. R. A. Thiétart & B. Forgues, 1995. "Chaos Theory and Organization," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 6(1), pages 19-31, February.
    20. Flint, Daniel J. & Signori, Paola & Golicic, Susan L., 2018. "Corporate Identity Congruence: A meanings-based analysis," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 68-82.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Wagih Salama & Mohamed Nor El Deen & Azzam Albakhit & Karam Zaki, 2022. "Understanding the Connection between Sustainable Human Resource Management and the Hotel Business Outcomes: Evidence from the Green-Certified Hotels of Egypt," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-22, May.
    2. Miguel Bustamante-Ubilla & Felipe Arenas-Torres, 2022. "Epistemological Foundations of Complexity Theory," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-14, October.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Brice Dattée & James Barlow, 2017. "Multilevel Organizational Adaptation: Scale Invariance in the Scottish Healthcare System," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 28(2), pages 301-319, April.
    2. Accard, Philippe, 2015. "Complex hierarchy: The strategic advantages of a trade-off between hierarchical supervision and self-organizing," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 33(2), pages 89-103.
    3. Todd H. Chiles & Alan D. Meyer & Thomas J. Hench, 2004. "Organizational Emergence: The Origin and Transformation of Branson, Missouri's Musical Theaters," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 15(5), pages 499-519, October.
    4. Celo, Sokol & Lehrer, Mark, 2022. "How much lateral collaboration is optimal? Insights from computer simulations of MNEs as complex adaptive systems," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 57(3).
    5. Peter Woensel & Dick Gilder & Peter Besselaar & Peter Groenewegen, 2017. "Managerial influence on attitude formation in organizations: how to manage emergence," Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory, Springer, vol. 23(4), pages 496-523, December.
    6. Hanisch, Bastian & Wald, Andreas, 2014. "Effects of complexity on the success of temporary organizations: Relationship quality and transparency as substitutes for formal coordination mechanisms," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 30(2), pages 197-213.
    7. Tamara Galkina & Irina Atkova, 2020. "Effectual Networks as Complex Adaptive Systems: Exploring Dynamic and Structural Factors of Emergence," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 44(5), pages 964-995, September.
    8. Jarratt, Denise & Ceric, Arnela, 2015. "The complexity of trust in business collaborations," Australasian marketing journal, Elsevier, vol. 23(1), pages 2-12.
    9. Arianna Dal Forno & Ugo Merlone, 2021. "Envy effects on conflict dynamics in supervised work groups," Decisions in Economics and Finance, Springer;Associazione per la Matematica, vol. 44(2), pages 755-779, December.
    10. Sergey Samoilenko, 2008. "Information systems fitness and risk in IS development: Insights and implications from chaos and complex systems theories," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 10(3), pages 281-292, July.
    11. Chandra, Yanto & Wilkinson, Ian F., 2017. "Firm internationalization from a network-centric complex-systems perspective," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 52(5), pages 691-701.
    12. Verena Komander & Andreas König, 2024. "Organizations on stage: organizational research and the performing arts," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 74(1), pages 303-352, February.
    13. José Andrade & Mário Franco & Luis Mendes, 2021. "Technological capacity and organisational ambidexterity: the moderating role of environmental dynamism on Portuguese technological SMEs," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 15(7), pages 2111-2136, October.
    14. Bill McKelvey & Benyamin B. Lichtenstein & Pierpaolo Andriani, 2012. "When organisations and ecosystems interact: toward a law of requisite fractality in firms," International Journal of Complexity in Leadership and Management, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 2(1/2), pages 104-136.
    15. Ekinci, Esra & Mangla, Sachin Kumar & Kazancoglu, Yigit & Sarma, P.R.S. & Sezer, Muruvvet Deniz & Ozbiltekin-Pala, Melisa, 2022. "Resilience and complexity measurement for energy efficient global supply chains in disruptive events," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    16. Karl E. Weick & Kathleen M. Sutcliffe & David Obstfeld, 2005. "Organizing and the Process of Sensemaking," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 16(4), pages 409-421, August.
    17. Christo Coetzee & Dewald Niekerk & Emmanuel Raju, 2018. "Reconsidering disaster resilience: a nonlinear systems paradigm in agricultural communities in Southern Africa," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 90(2), pages 777-801, January.
    18. Philip Anderson, 1999. "Perspective: Complexity Theory and Organization Science," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 10(3), pages 216-232, June.
    19. Haridimos Tsoukas & Gerardo Patriotta & Kathleen M. Sutcliffe & Sally Maitlis, 2020. "On the way to Ithaka[1]: Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Publication of Karl E. Weick’s The Social Psychology of Organizing," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(7), pages 1315-1330, November.
    20. Mats Urde & Stephen A Greyser, 2016. "The Corporate Brand Identity and Reputation Matrix – The case of the Nobel Prize," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 23(1), pages 89-117, January.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:109:y:2020:i:c:p:413-424. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jbusres .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.