Making Use of Organizational Identity - Authentic Organizations

An icon helps members share organizational identity across the organization and
over time. For organizational identity to be a useful framing tool across the organization, the
specifics of the identity need to be shared widely at one time. The general problems of conveying
and sharing the meaning behind the terms used in identity claims are somewhat mitigated when
identity conversations occur within a shared cultural context. This shared cultural context
supports a shared interpretation among individuals because culture provides additional data for
fleshing out a fuller interpretation of identity claims (Hatch & Schultz, 2002). However,
members from different parts of the organization may have different subcultures, experiences,
perspectives, and subgroup interests that lead to differences in the ways these same claims are
interpreted and understood (Corley & Gioia, 2004; Rafaeli & Pratt, 1997). To share meaning
across subgroups, organizations need tools and processes for reconciling discrepancies in
interpretation that might be created by differences in location, perspective, and expertise.
For organizational identity to be a useful framing tool over time, it must be easy to share
with new members as well as with current and longer-term members. Beliefs about
organizational identity can be difficult to share over time because the organizational situation
may change over time. And, it can be difficult to recount or remember a full understanding that
was developed at a previous time. Even when identity statements are written down, the meaning
of the words when they were written and the meaning of the words when they are repeated at
later time can be different in important ways (Gioia, Schultz, & Corley, 2000). Sometimes this
difference can facilitate adaptation over time, but also it can make it more difficult to sustain
normative control and direction over time. For an organizational identity to be effective across
Making Use of OI 10/2006
27