Legitimate Distinctiveness, Historical Bricolage, and the Fortune of the Commons

Abstract

This article analyzes how organizations discursively construe legitimate distinctiveness (LD) by using their own corporate stories in recombination with historical narratives about commons (i.e., cultural, social, or natural resources available in a local community). Specifically, through the study of 55 rural hotels active in Segovia (Castilla y León, Spain), we theorize about how organizations build LD through a different process than the one explained by previous studies: a process of historical bricolage. Two recursive mechanisms constitute this process—namely the appropriation and preservation of historical narratives about natural (e.g., forests, animals), social (e.g., recipes, movies), or cultural (e.g., heritage, kings) commons. This process contributes to current studies because it explains how organizations build LD through the strategic use of history, the preservation rather than the mere appropriation of collective narratives, and finally the production of stories that integrate the organizational and collective selves.

Bricolage in Scientific Research Practice: An Attempt at Grasping the Meaning of the Concept

“…-innovation, non-standardization and effectiveness of entrepreneurial activity (Baker & Nelson, 2005;Desa, 2012;Fisher, 2012;Stinchfield, Nelson & Wood, 2013, Illia & Zamparini, 2016; -the practice of making decisions on the choice of therapeutic strategies (Hester, 2005;Broom, 2009), dietary preferences (Cronin & Malone, 2018), gender and race-differentiated consumer and health-promoting behaviour (Russell & Tyler, 2005), decision making in organizational environments (Daipha, 2015); -providing healthcare in heterogeneous cultural, social, economic and political ecosystems of needs and expectations (Phillimore et al, 2018); -shaping both individual and collective religious identity (Saroglou, 2006;Christians, 2006) or the identity of football club members (Gutu, 2017); -economical aspects of international tourism (Baláž & Williams, 2005), geography of death and dying (Madge, 2017); -creating a group culture for children in the course of a sociodramatic play (Tam, 2012).…”

Una historia retórica construida durante ciento ochenta años sobre la memoria social y la antigüedad. El caso de Acesur

“…No se puede olvidar que, en los últimos años, una de las principales vías de comunicación de las empresas son sus páginas web. las cuales no se conservan y son fácilmente maleables y adaptables a las necesidades empresariales de cada momento (Illia y Zamparini, 2016;Delahaye et al, 2009). En la actualidad, el Grupo Acesur mantiene tres páginas web, aunque la narrativa histórica se concentra en las páginas de Aceites «La Española» 8 y, en menor medida, de Acesur 9 .…”

História, Memória E Passado Em Estudos Organizacionais E De Gestão

“…Historical organization scholars have conducted several empirical studies. For example, these scholars have explored topics such as organizational identity (Anteby & Molnár, 2012;Lamertz, Foster, Coraiola, & Kroezen, 2016;Ravasi, Rindova, & Stigliani, 2019;Schultz & Hernes, 2013), change (Brunninge, 2009;Maclean, Harvey, Sillince, & Golant, 2014;Ybema, 2014), legitimacy (Illia & Zamparini, 2016;McGaughey, 2013;Voronov, Clercq, & Hinings, 2013), and corporate responsibility (Coraiola & Derry, 2020;Lent & Smith, in press). This exciting and rapidly growing field of research has much to contribute to our knowledge and understanding of management and organizations.…”