Toward a Dynamic Perspective on Organizational Authenticity

Abstract

Prior research has investigated organizational authenticity by considering the underlying consistency between internal values and external expressions as persistent and static, thus neglecting its temporal dimension. In this study, we provide a richer consideration of the processual nature of organizational authenticity, through an empirical investigation of how it evolves over time. We do so by conducting an in-depth qualitative case study of Masi Agricola, a seventh-generation family-owned Italian wine producer. Our analysis revealed that, when facing episodes of authenticity struggle, the organization experienced a first phase of authenticity drifting, including those actions that underpinned the perception of inconsistency between values and practices and the organization displaying such discrepancy. This was critical to facilitate the organizational reaction, ensuing a new phase of authenticity grafting to establish new links of consistency. Our findings and theoretical insights advance the current understanding of the temporal dimension of organizational authenticity, challenging the prevailing view of a linear process of authenticity restoration, and providing new insights on the dichotomy between consistency and inconsistency as an instrumental dynamic in connecting values with practices.