Oscillation as a Mechanism for the Maintenance of Conflicting Organizational Identities

Abstract

Organizations with conflicting organizational identities suffer from internal tensions that must be managed. Prior research suggests many compelling strategies to manage these tensions (e.g., segmentation, compartmentalization, or deletion), but these strategies either momentarily or permanently limit the expression of one of these identities. This study examines the organization “Extreme Gym,” which uses a strategy that does not structurally limit the expression of its conflicting organizational identities and instead fully enacts them in the same physical space. A contrarian organizational identity “Go Hard until You Puke” is enacted for elite athletes and a conformist organizational identity “Go at Your Own Pace” is enacted for casual athletes. Analyses based on participant observation and interviews with entrepreneurs and organizational members suggest that Extreme Gym is able to manage the tensions that arise from these conflicting organizational identities through the strategy of oscillation: alternating between events that unite and stratify organizational members on a daily basis. This process privileges each organizational identity at punctuated intervals without limiting their expression. Enacting both of these conflicting organizational identities allows Extreme Gym to be similar to and different from pre-existing market offerings–a strategy that could potentially position Extreme Gym for high growth among all customer segments.