Corporate Values in the Formation of the Identity of Russian Corporations

Abstract

The paper presents the results of the analysis of the role of core values in corporate identity formation. The study was carried out based on the analysis of documents and information materials about 60 large Russian commercial companies and nonprofit organizations placed on the Internet. The analysis was performed based on an axiological model, which implies the formation of the system of corporate values at four levels: global, socio-cultural, corporate and personal. The study showed that core values are becoming the drivers of the corporate identity formation in Russian corporations. Commercial companies are typically focused on core values of global and corporate levels, and this reduces the potential for the uniqueness of the corporate identity since it lacks the values of socio-cultural and personal levels. Non-profit organizations are aimed at the formation of core value systems that take into account global and personal levels, which reduces the potential for uniqueness of the corporate identity since it lacks socio-cultural and corporate values and carries potential risks of losing corporate identity when corporate management team changes. The authors argue that in order to reinforce corporate identity Russian corporations need to consider all levels of core value formation, to more actively involve employees in the implementation of core values at all levels, and to more extensively cover the processes of implementation of core values on corporate Internet resources and in traditional and new media.