20 years of organizational identity scholarship. A Third Sector review.

• In Event: Organizational identity

Abstract

Organizational identity scholarship has gained relevance in the last two decades, with recognized impact in key organizational areas such as strategy (Nag et al., 2007; Knippenberg, 2016), planned changed (Bhatt, Van Riel & Baumann, 2016), accountability, innovation (Callen & Tripsas, 2016). In non-profit organizations, due to importance of the mission and specificity of its characteristics, organizational identity plays an even more important role in leadership and management (Cloutier, 2020).
This paper, being the first systematic literature review of organizational identity in nonprofit organizations, provides an integrative approach of the body of literature over the last 20 years of empirical research in this sector. The coding (Foreman and Whetten, 2016; Denyer, 2009), and integrative analysis of the content of 63 cross-related papers allows a better understanding the status of the field (Cronin, 2023).
We summarize the outcomes through identified two overall research dimensions (perspectives on conceptualization and empirical research) and five specific as the specific role of mission statements and values; organizational identity work both in times of crise/disruptive circumstances and on the day-to-day management of the organization; the focus on multiple identities research; organizational identity change and construction and cross-organizational identity processes. An overview of the knowledge produced in these two decades in each category in presented, and relationships mapped.
Overall, we found that research is deeply fragmented, knowledge is sectoral, and there is a notorious lack of a global framework on organizational identity. The sector is moving towards a major integration of the different perspectives, but a set of complexities are compromising this process. An underlying theme to all categories is the role of leadership and management. We put forward a research agenda based on various key areas, that have remained understudied: the development of a global framework on organizational identity; the need to reconceptualize identity in conjugation with other variables like organizational performance/impact; the urge for comparative studies on the specificities of organizational identity between for profit and not profit sectors; the internationalization of research, as culture and organizational identity have a very close relation (Ravasi, 2006).
A clear organizational identity is a key factor in resolving the structural dilemmas in non-profit organizations (Young, 2001). Our literature review, besides taking a multifaceted picture of the state of the field, allows the identification of practical and theoretical contributions both for the sector and for individual organizations (or across organizational typology).

References

- Bhatt, M., Riel, C.B.M. & Baumann, M. (2016). Planned Organizational Identity Change. In Pratt, M., Schultz, M., Ashforth, B. & Ravasi, D. (Eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Organizational Identity (p. 436-454). Oxford University Press, Kindle version.
- Callen, A. & Tripsas, M. (2016). Organizational Identity and Innovation. In Pratt, M., Schultz, M., Ashforth, B. & Ravasi, D. (Eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Organizational Identity (p. 417-435). Oxford University Press, Kindle version.
- Cloutier, C., & Ravasi, D. (2020). Identity Trajectories: Explaining Long-Term Patterns of Continuity and Change in Organizational Identities. Academy of Management Journal, 63(4), 1196-1235. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2017.1051
- Cronin, M. A., & George, E. (2023). The Why and How of the Integrative Review. Organizational Research Methods, 26(1), 168-192. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428120935507
- Denyer, D. T. D. (2009). Producing a Systematic Review. In D. A. Buchanan, Bryman, A. (Ed.), The Sage Handbook of Organizational Research Methods (pp. 671-689). Sage Publications Ltd.
- Knippenberg, D. V. (2016). Making sense of who we are: leadership and organizational identity. In Pratt, M., Schultz, M., Ashforth, B. & Ravasi, D. (Eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Organizational Identity (p. 335-352). Oxford University Press, Kindle version.
- Nag, R., Corley, K. G.,& Gioia, D. A. (2007). The Intersection of Organizational Identity, Knowledge, and Practice: Attempting Strategic Change via Knowledge Grafting. Academy of Management Journal, 50(4), 821-47. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2007.26279173
- Ravasi, D., & Schultz, M. (2006). Responding to Organizational Identity Threats: Exploring the Role of Organizational Culture. The Academy of Management Journal, 49(3), 433–458. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20159775
- Young, D. R. (2001). Organizational identity and the structure of nonprofit umbrella associations. Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 11(3), 289–304. https://doi.org/10.1002/nml.11304

Authors

• Vanessa Oliveira

• Francisco Nunes, ISCTE-IUL