By Charles kulwa n reg no 42688

The concept of identity and image in an organization

Organization identity refers broadly to what members perceive, feel and think about their organizations, it is assumed to be a collective, commonly shared understanding of the organizations distinctive values and characteristics. Albert and Whetten (1985) offered an influential definition of organization identity as that which is central, enduring, and distinctive about an organization character

Corporate identity differs from organization identity in the degree to which it is conceptualized as function of leadership and its focus of the visual (Balmer, 1995).  Although both concepts build on an idea of the organization is ( Balmer 1995). Strong links with company vision and strategy ( Abratt 1989) emphasize the explicit role of top management in the formulation of corporate identity. The marketing approach has specified more fully the ways in which management expresses this key idea to external audiences for example through product, communications, behaviour and environment ( Olins ( 1989), while the organization literature has been more concerned with the relationship between employees and their organization for example studies of organization commitment and identification, ( Ashforth and Mael ( 1989)

Balmer (1995) emphasize graphic design and management through official corporate symbols which focus attention on the strategic, visual aspects of corporate identity

Olins (1989) provides example of the strategic use of symbols in companies like shell oil and Yves Saint Laurent, companies that make strong and consistent use of their corporate names, logo and colours to create a monolithic identity for their organizations

We view organization identity as grounded in local meanings and organization symbols and thus embedded in organization culture, which we sees as the internal symbolic context for the development and, maintenance of organization identity. The symbolic construction of corporate identity is communicated to organizational members by top management, but is interpreted and enacted by organizational members based on the cultural patterns of the organization, work experiences and social influence from external relations with the environment. Thus, organization identity emerges from the ongoing interactions between organization members including middle level managers as well as from top management influence. Furthemore we argue as the internal – external distinction collapses, organizational identity is increasingly influenced by and becomes an influence on organization image

The concept of image

Very few within the marketing literature consider internal organizational aspects when dealing with the concept of organization image (Dowling, 1993). The organizational literature, in contrast to marketing, focuses almost exclusively on internal issues related to image for example, Dutton and Dukerich (1991) defined image as the way organization members believe others see their organization. In their study of the New York port authority, Dutton and Dukerich reported that this organization was forced to take action on the homeless problem as a result of community pressures expressed through a negative organizational image.

Whetten, Levis and Michael (1992) image is the way that organizational elites would be like outsiders to see their organization (similar to the marketing concept of ideal corporate image