“My Company Is Friendly,” “Mine’s a Rebel”: Anthropomorphism and Shifting Organizational Identity From “What” to “Who”

Ashforth, Blake E.; Schinoff, Beth S.; Brickson, Shelley L.

doi:10.5465/amr.2016.0496

Cited by 100 publications

(101 citation statements)

References 146 publications

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“…Traditionally, corporate identity focused on 'what the organization is' (Blamer, 1995) while OI reflected on 'who we are as an organization' (Albert and Whetten, 1985). The 'what' associates with corporate communications such as disseminating the mission to employees (Glanfield et al, 2017;Melewar, 2003), and the 'who' personifies the collective human entity that embraces employees' social, relational, and personal interactions (Ashforth et al, 2018). These perspectives represent the internal and external stakeholder experiences of corporate identity and the self-reflective process of OI.…”

Section: Oi As a Processmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These interactions with colleagues and supervisors nourish the feelings of respect for individuals, which trigger employees to develop emotional relationships with the organization. The organization is therefore humanized by its members to have an identity of its own that can have a set of shared cognitions, language, and behaviors (Ashforth et al, 2018). The corporate OI of authenticity and respect were interpreted and practiced as respect at the property.…”

Section: Respectmentioning

confidence: 99%

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(Dis)connected organizational identity of multinational hotel corporations: Employee insights from a Mexican luxury hotel property

Ponting

Dillette

2020

Tourism and Hospitality Research

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Organizational identity (OI) is a critical concept in understanding what is central, distinctive, and enduring to an organization. For headquarters of a multinational corporation that command multiple subsidiaries across nations and cultures, addressing a unified OI is challenging. Specifically, within tourism and hospitality management, scant attention has been paid to examine multinational tourism and hospitality corporations using OI frameworks. Thus, through a social constructionist lens, this paper aims to explore corporate and property OI of a multinational hotel corporation by using a single bounded case in Mexico. Data collection included interviews, focus groups, direct observations, and internal documentation. Findings indicated the connection and disconnection between corporate and property OI through localization and power dynamics. Theoretical and industry implications clarify insights to better understand the OI complexities in a multinational hotel corporation setting.

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Section: Oi As a Processmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Respectmentioning

confidence: 99%

(Dis)connected organizational identity of multinational hotel corporations: Employee insights from a Mexican luxury hotel property

Ponting

Dillette

2020

Tourism and Hospitality Research

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“…Nowadays, it is not only common management lingo to say that change is the only tradition worth preserving (e.g. O'Brien 2017); also, academics recognize the anthropomorphic character of organizations (King 2015;Tuškej and Podnar 2018;Ashforth et al 2018). Organizational identity is shifting from 'what' to 'who' (Ashforth et al 2018).…”

Section: Static or Dynamic?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…O'Brien 2017); also, academics recognize the anthropomorphic character of organizations (King 2015;Tuškej and Podnar 2018;Ashforth et al 2018). Organizational identity is shifting from 'what' to 'who' (Ashforth et al 2018). The implication of the attribution of human qualities to a non-human entity is that we assume organizations to shape their identities as human beings do: they preserve some identity anchors, but other identity traits are disposed of and replaced by new ones.…”

Section: Static or Dynamic?mentioning

confidence: 99%

How to Nail the Multiple Identities of an Organization? A Content Analysis of Projected Identity

2019

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Multiple-identity organizations possess identity characteristics that belong to different and potentially conflicting value systems. How exactly these identities are projected in such an organization's external communication has hardly been investigated. Here, we present a method that provides a systematic way to analyse the projected identity of multiple-identity organizations. A quantitative content analysis of the annual reports of a Dutch multiple-identity organization shows the presence of its utilitarian and ideological identity through the years 1998-2016. Results suggest that the relatively strong emphasis on the ideological identity of the organization is not in line with the identity perceived internally. Contextual knowledge about changes in the leadership, stakeholders' demands, and the annual turnover provides a more thorough understanding of the research results. This study shows the volatility of identity, and it supports the presupposition that multiple-identity organizations are flexible in adapting their identity to changing circumstances.

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“…Notwithstanding, only recently the psychological processes by which employees attribute personality features to organizations ("organizational anthropomorphism") and their outcomes have been explored theoretically (Ashforth et al 2018). Organizational anthropomorphism is a metaphorical device (Cornelissen 2002), which involves ascribing a "who it is/who we are" identity to the organization.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Organizational Virtues and Organizational Anthropomorphism

Martin

2021

J Bus Ethics

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Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human features to non-human subjects. Anthropomorphized organizations acquire in the minds of their members a unique identity, which becomes capable of guiding members’ motivations, with important managerial implications. Ashforth et al. (Acad Manage Rev https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2016.0496, 2018) offered a theoretical model of anthropomorphism in organizations, including “top-down” and “bottom-up” processes of organizational anthropomorphism as antecedents, and sensemaking and the sense of social connection of the organization as outcomes. Using SEM, this study operationalizes Ashforth et al.’s (Acad Manage Rev https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2016.0496, 2018) model using a two-trait scale of organizational virtue (Empathy and Courage) derived from Chun (J Bus Ethics 57:269–284, 2005), including measures of CSR and OCB as antecedents, and organizational justice and affective commitment as outcomes. The model is tested on survey data from seven UK managed service organizations in the hotels, logistics and legal sectors. As secondary contribution, moderation analysis is undertaken by industry, offering further insight into the evaluation of organizational anthropomorphism. Firstly, we note that high evaluations of Empathy influence evaluations of Courage through a halo effect. Secondly, we note that heuristic evaluation of the firm’s CSR practice also influences perceptions of Empathy and Courage. The paper also includes a discussion of the critique of organizational virtues by virtue ethicists in an effort to advance the dialogue between the two traditions.

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“My Company Is Friendly,” “Mine’s a Rebel”: Anthropomorphism and Shifting Organizational Identity From “What” to “Who”

Cited by 100 publications

References 146 publications

(Dis)connected organizational identity of multinational hotel corporations: Employee insights from a Mexican luxury hotel property

(Dis)connected organizational identity of multinational hotel corporations: Employee insights from a Mexican luxury hotel property

How to Nail the Multiple Identities of an Organization? A Content Analysis of Projected Identity

Organizational Virtues and Organizational Anthropomorphism

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