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Accounts and Accountability: On Organizational Purpose, Organizational Identity, and Meaningful Work

Author

Listed:
  • Michael G. Pratt

    (Carroll School of Management, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467)

  • Luke N. Hedden

    (Carroll School of Management, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467)

Abstract

The recent rediscovery of corporate purpose has illuminated how much more we still need to understand about purpose and its role in organizations. After tracing the historical roots of purpose and conceptualizing its unique value in bridging the mundane and the moral in organizational life, we propose links among purpose and organizational identity, image and reputation, as well as with meaningful work. These linkages suggest two core functions of purpose: a vehicle for accountability (internal and external) and a source of accounts and justifications. These functions serve as mechanisms connecting purpose to different levels of analysis both within and outside of the organization. We also highlight potential impediments to maximizing the benefits of purpose: stakeholder cynicism and employee disillusionment. We conclude by suggesting new areas of research to overcome these impediments and to better establish purpose as a root construct in organizational scholarship.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael G. Pratt & Luke N. Hedden, 2023. "Accounts and Accountability: On Organizational Purpose, Organizational Identity, and Meaningful Work," Strategy Science, INFORMS, vol. 8(2), pages 182-192, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:orstsc:v:8:y:2023:i:2:p:182-192
    DOI: 10.1287/stsc.2023.0189
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    7. Ju Young Lee & Pratima Bansal & Alice Mascena Barbosa, 2023. "Seeing Beyond the Here and Now: How Corporate Purpose Combats Corporate Myopia," Strategy Science, INFORMS, vol. 8(2), pages 302-310, June.
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    11. Roy Suddaby & Luca Manelli & Ziyun Fan, 2023. "Corporate Purpose: A Social Judgement Perspective," Strategy Science, INFORMS, vol. 8(2), pages 202-211, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Sohail Ahmad & Qingyu Zhang & Zaheer Ahmad, 2024. "Insights from the COVID-19 perspective on the necessity of corporate social responsibility in times of crisis in the context of Pakistan," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 19(8), pages 1-28, August.
    2. Ranjay Gulati & Franz Wohlgezogen, 2023. "Can Purpose Foster Stakeholder Trust in Corporations?," Strategy Science, INFORMS, vol. 8(2), pages 270-287, June.
    3. Witold J. Henisz, 2023. "The Value of Organizational Purpose," Strategy Science, INFORMS, vol. 8(2), pages 159-169, June.
    4. Claudine Gartenberg & Shun Yiu, 2023. "Acquisitions and Corporate Purpose," Strategy Science, INFORMS, vol. 8(4), pages 444-463, December.
    5. Violina P. Rindova & Luis L. Martins, 2023. "Moral Imagination, the Collective Desirable, and Strategic Purpose," Strategy Science, INFORMS, vol. 8(2), pages 170-181, June.
    6. William Ocasio & Matthew Kraatz & David Chandler, 2023. "Making Sense of Corporate Purpose," Strategy Science, INFORMS, vol. 8(2), pages 123-138, June.
    7. Lysova, Evgenia I. & Fletcher, Luke, 2025. "Meaningful Work: An Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior Perspective," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1667, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    8. Juan (“John”) Almandoz, 2023. "Inside-out and Outside-in Perspectives on Corporate Purpose," Strategy Science, INFORMS, vol. 8(2), pages 139-148, June.
    9. Roy Suddaby & Luca Manelli & Ziyun Fan, 2023. "Corporate Purpose: A Social Judgement Perspective," Strategy Science, INFORMS, vol. 8(2), pages 202-211, June.

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