Understanding corporate identity: the French school of thought

Abstract

Since the 1970s, French researchers have elaborated a theoretical framework built around the concept of organizational identity. This theoretical framework integrates concepts from several research disciplines, including sociology, psychology, psychoanalysis, and history. Although this approach focuses primarily on improving the understanding of the internal functioning of organizations, the approach also helps marketing professionals who are responsible for managing organizational image and organizational communications. The diagnosis of an organization's identity permits marketing executives to interpret the symbolic products produced by the organization, even though these symbolic products may not have been designed in a rational or deliberate manner. Reviews the principal concepts and methods elaborated over the last 20 years by researchers working in this perspective, emphasizing the importance of these ideas for marketing specialists. Describes recent developments in identity theory based on the sociological theory developed by Pierre Bourdieu. Presents an original diagnostic methodology - socioanalysi

Explicating corporate heritage, corporate heritage brands and organisational heritage

“…Thus, they are being shaped by the past as much as shaping it (Moingeon and Ramanantsoa, 1997); as well 'making a history' so to speak (Urde et al, 2007).…”

“…The importance of the past in marketing and branding scholarship -and more particularly corporate marketing scholarship -is recognised to be highly significant (Balmer 1994;Moingeon and Ramanantsoa 1997;Melewar and Karaosmanoglu 2006;Blombäck and Brunninge 2009). This being said, and as is to be expected from a nascent field, empirical insights on the domain are still modest.…”

“…These elements may manifest as substantive, symbolic, and communicative resources which constitute a corporate-level concept in a concrete identifiable form. For instance, definitions of corporate identity that include history are often predicated on such a conceptualisation (Balmer 2001) and implicitly comprehend manifestations of the past as a symbolic and cultural product of identity construction (Moingeon and Ramanantsoa, 1997).…”

“… corporate identity (Moingeon and Ramanantsoa, 1997;Balmer, 2001;Melewar and Karaosmanoglu, 2006;Blombäck and Brunninge, 2009);  corporate reputation (Fombrun and van Riel, 1997;Gray and Balmer 1998;Gotsi and Wilson, 2001);…”

Introducing organisational heritage: Linking corporate heritage, organisational identity and organisational memory

“…Albert and Whetten's (1985) perspective shows some parallels and interesting similarities to the, less-widely referred to, corporate marketing notion of corporate identity as we indicated above. As such, the holistic (rather than narrow graphic design) corporate identity perspective is conceptualised as a particular pattern of ideational and material traits over time that give an entity specificity, coherence and stability vis-à-vis stakeholders Reitter 1979, 1984; see Moingeon and Ramanantsoa 1997;Balmer 2008). It is the unique combination of such traits which reveal the Gestalt of the organisation to organisational members, customers and other stakeholders (Balmer and Greyser, 2003).…”