Organizational Identity and Culture Change

Abstract

Abstract In this chapter, we build on research on the interplay between organizational culture and identity to propose a teleological model of culture change that acknowledges the multiple ways in which organizational identity may influence the process. Based on prior studies, we identify three change pathways. The first is characterized by the use of new identity claims to consolidate new and emerging practices, and incorporate them into the organizational culture. The second acknowledges how members may be pushed to alter established cultural practices by a severe misalignment between image and identity. The third draws attention to the role of new identity claims, articulating a new vision for the distant future, to stimulate the incorporation of new elements in the organizational culture.