Advancing the common good through business excellence awards: A legitimacy‐seeking perspective

Abstract

Competing for and winning business excellence awards (BEAs) is essential for firms' long‐term performance. However, the role of these BEAs in inspiring good and generating sustainable business practices has often been overlooked. In this article, we draw on the legitimacy‐seeking theory to explore the “socially good” transformations firms go through by competing for BEAs. Data for the inquiry come from semi‐structured interviews with managers whose firms competed in two BEAs in the United Kingdom. Providing insight into BEAs as a competitive legitimating frame in organizing, our findings shed light on how BEAs may serve as competitive crucibles that provide opportunities for feedback and learning, potentiality for brand positioning, and a possibility for stimulating excellence in the adoption of good business practices. The implications of these findings for the theory and practice of advancing the “common good” are outlined.