Organizational Identity Dynamics and Narratives
Summary
Organizational identity dynamics and narratives examine how organisations understand, construct and communicate their core self‐concepts over time. At its heart, this field investigates the interplay between stability and change in what an organisation perceives as its defining attributes—its mission, values, culture and distinctiveness. Narratives serve both as sensemaking frameworks for internal members and as identity claims to external stakeholders. They are co‐created through leadership discourse, stakeholder interactions and material practices, and they evolve in response to environmental shifts, strategic decisions and crises. Scholars highlight that identity work involves continuous crafting, maintenance and, at times, hybridisation of identity claims to reconcile pressures for authenticity with demands for adaptation. The global significance of this research lies in its capacity to inform how corporations, non‐profits and temporary or project‐based entities navigate legitimacy contests, foster cohesion and drive transformation. Practical applications span organisational change initiatives, merger and acquisition contexts, megaproject governance and public policy advocacy, where coherent identity narratives can mobilise support, align behaviour and sustain commitment amidst complexity.
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Organizational Identity Dynamics and Narratives publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in organizational identity dynamics and narratives across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Organizational identity: The collective self‐concept defined by enduring values, beliefs and attributes that distinguish an organisation.
Identity narrative: A structured story or discourse that conveys an organisation’s self‐conception to internal and external audiences.
Hybrid identity: An organisational identity that integrates elements from distinct identity archetypes to address multiple stakeholder demands.
Discursive practices: Communicative actions—such as storytelling, sensegiving and pacing—through which identity claims are constructed, negotiated and transformed.
References
- Crafting and maintaining organizational identity narrative in a temporary organization: The case of Tideway megaproject. International Journal of Project Management (2024).
- Losing Their Religion: Organizational Identity Hybridization of British Political Parties 1950–2015. Journal of Management (2024).
- Sustaining authenticity while enabling adaptation: Discursively navigating strategy-identity tensions over time. Long Range Planning (2025).
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