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Corporate and organizational identity: two sides of the same coin

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Abstract

Many researchers have expressed frustration with the current state of scholarship about corporate and organizational identity. There are multiple definitions and confusion about the antecedents and consequences of each type of identity. Also, given the amount of scholarship involving these constructs, there are surprisingly few measures of either construct. We propose that each type of identity is an important and related construct. To clarify the relationships between and among the constructs, we review their use in three literatures. We then develop a model of how the two identity constructs relate to each other to influence how stakeholders trust and engage with their chosen organizations. To guide further research, we suggest how better measures of each construct can be developed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Marketing, University of Technology Sydney, P O Box 123 Broadway, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia

    Grahame R. Dowling

  2. Lagos Business School, Pan African University, Km 22 Lekki Epe Expressway Ajah, Logos, Nigeria

    Tayo Otubanjo

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  1. Grahame R. Dowling
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  2. Tayo Otubanjo
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Correspondence to Grahame R. Dowling.

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Dowling, G.R., Otubanjo, T. Corporate and organizational identity: two sides of the same coin. AMS Rev 1, 171–182 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13162-011-0022-1

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