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Identities, genres and organizational forms

Hsu, G.; Hannan, M.T.

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Authors

G. Hsu

M.T. Hannan



Abstract

In recent years, there has been an increasing emphasis within organizational ecology on identity as a fundamental basis for the conceptualization and identification of organizational forms. This paper highlights the benefits of an identity-based conceptualization of organizational forms and outlines an identity-based agenda for organizational ecology. We begin by discussing fundamental properties of organizational identity, drawing extensively from the formal-theoretical conceptualization proposed by Pólos et al. (2002). We then build on this foundation by proposing a number of systematic ways in which forms can be specified and differentiated in terms of identity. We also address the challenge of measuring forms by discussing various approaches researchers may use to assess the beliefs contemporaneous audiences hold regarding organizational identities. This paper concludes with a discussion of research questions revolving around three issues core to an ecological approach to organizations: (1) the emergence of identities, (2) the persistence of identities, and (3) the strategic trade-offs among different types of identities.

Citation

Hsu, G., & Hannan, M. (2005). Identities, genres and organizational forms. Organization Science, 16(5), 474-490. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1050.0151

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date Sep 1, 2005
Deposit Date Mar 28, 2007
Publicly Available Date Sep 22, 2014
Journal Organization Science
Print ISSN 1047-7039
Electronic ISSN 1526-5455
Publisher Institute for Operations Research and Management Sciences
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 16
Issue 5
Pages 474-490
DOI https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1050.0151
Keywords Identity, Organizational forms, Organizational ecology.

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