IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/jomstd/v60y2023i1p242-278.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Rhetorical History as Institutional Work

Author

Listed:
  • Roy Suddaby
  • Trevor Israelsen
  • Francois Bastien
  • Rohny Saylors
  • Diego Coraiola

Abstract

Rhetorical history has emerged as a useful theoretical construct that bridges the long recognized gap between historical and organizational scholarship. Despite its growing popularity, the precise nature of rhetorical history as a construct, its scope conditions, and its utility in resolving critical issues in historical organizational analysis remains unclear. This paper addresses these issues. We define rhetorical history and contextualize the construct by elaborating its relationship to associated concepts like collective memory, rhetoric, and narrative. We ground the construct by reviewing literature that has applied rhetorical history in both theory and empirical research. Our inductive review identifies four recurring themes in which rhetorical history is used to construct perceptions of; (a) continuity and discontinuity, (b) similarity and difference, (c) winners and losers, and (d) morality and immorality. We conclude with a discussion of how rhetorical history is an essential mechanism of institutional work.

Suggested Citation

  • Roy Suddaby & Trevor Israelsen & Francois Bastien & Rohny Saylors & Diego Coraiola, 2023. "Rhetorical History as Institutional Work," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(1), pages 242-278, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jomstd:v:60:y:2023:i:1:p:242-278
    DOI: 10.1111/joms.12860
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12860
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/joms.12860?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. William M. Foster & Diego M. Coraiola & Roy Suddaby & Jochem Kroezen & David Chandler, 2017. "The strategic use of historical narratives: a theoretical framework," Business History, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 59(8), pages 1176-1200, November.
    2. Eero Vaara & Juha-Antti Lamberg, 2016. "Taking historical embeddedness seriously : Three historical approaches to advance strategy process and practice research," Post-Print hal-02276732, HAL.
    3. Mary Ann Glynn, 2000. "When Cymbals Become Symbols: Conflict Over Organizational Identity Within a Symphony Orchestra," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 11(3), pages 285-298, June.
    4. David J. Teece, 2007. "Explicating dynamic capabilities: the nature and microfoundations of (sustainable) enterprise performance," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(13), pages 1319-1350, December.
    5. Paresha N. Sinha & Peter Jaskiewicz & Jenny Gibb & James G. Combs, 2020. "Managing history: How New Zealand's Gallagher Group used rhetorical narratives to reprioritize and modify imprinted strategic guideposts," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(3), pages 557-589, March.
    6. Kai Lamertz & William M. Foster & Diego M. Coraiola & Jochem Kroezen, 2016. "New identities from remnants of the past: an examination of the history of beer brewing in Ontario and the recent emergence of craft breweries," Business History, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 58(5), pages 796-828, July.
    7. David J. Teece & Gary Pisano & Amy Shuen, 1997. "Dynamic capabilities and strategic management," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(7), pages 509-533, August.
    8. Sara L. McGaughey, 2013. "Institutional entrepreneurship in North American lightning protection standards: Rhetorical history and unintended consequences of failure," Business History, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 55(1), pages 73-97, January.
    9. Kathleen M. Eisenhardt & Jeffrey A. Martin, 2000. "Dynamic capabilities: what are they?," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(10‐11), pages 1105-1121, October.
    10. Ron Martin & Peter Sunley, 2003. "Deconstructing clusters: chaotic concept or policy panacea?," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 3(1), pages 5-35, January.
    11. Marleen Dieleman & Juliette Koning, 2020. "Articulating Values Through Identity Work: Advancing Family Business Ethics Research," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 163(4), pages 675-687, May.
    12. Bövers, Jana & Hoon, Christina, 2021. "Surviving disruptive change: The role of history in aligning strategy and identity in family businesses," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 12(4).
    13. Innan Sasaki & Josip Kotlar & Davide Ravasi & Eero Vaara, 2020. "Dealing with revered past: Historical identity statements and strategic change in Japanese family firms," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(3), pages 590-623, March.
    14. Eero Vaara & Juha-Antti Lamberg, 2016. "Taking historical embeddedness seriously : Three historical approaches to advance strategy process and practice research," Post-Print hal-02313404, HAL.
    15. Sarah Kaplan & Wanda J. Orlikowski, 2013. "Temporal Work in Strategy Making," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(4), pages 965-995, August.
    16. Charles Harvey & Jillian Gordon & Mairi Maclean, 2021. "The Ethics of Entrepreneurial Philanthropy," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 171(1), pages 33-49, June.
    17. Samia Chreim, 2005. "The Continuity–Change Duality in Narrative Texts of Organizational Identity," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(3), pages 567-593, May.
    18. Diego M. Coraiola & Robbin Derry, 2020. "Remembering to Forget: The Historic Irresponsibility of U.S. Big Tobacco," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 166(2), pages 233-252, October.
    19. Mairi Maclean & Charles Harvey & Lindsay Stringfellow, 2017. "Narrative, metaphor and the subjective understanding of historic identity transition," Business History, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 59(8), pages 1218-1241, November.
    20. Oertel, Simon & Thommes, Kirsten, 2015. "Making history: Sources of organizational history and its rhetorical construction," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 31(4), pages 549-560.
    21. Majken Schultz & Tor Hernes, 2013. "A Temporal Perspective on Organizational Identity," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(1), pages 1-21, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Coraiola, Diego M. & Suddaby, Roy & Foster, William M., 2017. "Capacidades mnemônicas: Memória coletiva como capacidade dinâmica," RAE - Revista de Administração de Empresas, FGV-EAESP Escola de Administração de Empresas de São Paulo (Brazil), vol. 57(3), May.
    2. Betty Feng, Jing & Liu, Steven Y.H. & Anne Liu, Leigh, 2023. "Cognitive antecedents of EMNEs’ dynamic capabilities: A case study of global identity at Lenovo," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    3. Nicholas S. Argyres & Alfredo De Massis & Nicolai J. Foss & Federico Frattini & Geoffrey Jones & Brian S. Silverman, 2020. "History‐informed strategy research: The promise of history and historical research methods in advancing strategy scholarship," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(3), pages 343-368, March.
    4. Bingbing Ge & Alfredo De Massis & Josip Kotlar, 2022. "Mining the Past: History Scripting Strategies and Competitive Advantage in a Family Business," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 46(1), pages 223-251, January.
    5. Innan Sasaki & Josip Kotlar & Davide Ravasi & Eero Vaara, 2020. "Dealing with revered past: Historical identity statements and strategic change in Japanese family firms," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(3), pages 590-623, March.
    6. Roy Suddaby & Diego Coraiola & Charles Harvey & William Foster, 2020. "History and the micro‐foundations of dynamic capabilities," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(3), pages 530-556, March.
    7. Bövers, Jana & Hoon, Christina, 2021. "Surviving disruptive change: The role of history in aligning strategy and identity in family businesses," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 12(4).
    8. Hee‐Chan Song, 2023. "Identity Conflict Amidst Environmental Change: An Ethnography of a Korean Buddhist Temple," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(4), pages 889-923, June.
    9. Rebecca Alguera Kleine & Bingbing Ge & Alfredo Massis, 2024. "Look in to look out: strategy and family business identity during COVID-19," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 63(3), pages 993-1018, October.
    10. Eero Vaara & Laura Fritsch, 2022. "Strategy as language and communication: Theoretical and methodological advances and avenues for the future in strategy process and practice research," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(6), pages 1170-1181, June.
    11. Ilgaz Arikan & Ipek Koparan & Asli M Arikan & Oded Shenkar, 2022. "Dynamic capabilities and internationalization of authentic firms: Role of heritage assets, administrative heritage, and signature processes," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 53(4), pages 601-635, June.
    12. FeCheng Ma & Farhan Khan & Kashif Ullah Khan & Si XiangYun, 2021. "Investigating the Impact of Information Technology, Absorptive Capacity, and Dynamic Capabilities on Firm Performance: An Empirical Study," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(4), pages 21582440211, November.
    13. Kim, Jongwook & Mahoney, Joseph T., 2008. "A Strategic Theory of the Firm as a Nexus of Incomplete Contracts: A Property Rights Approach," Working Papers 08-0108, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, College of Business.
    14. Zhonghua Zhao & Fanchen Meng & Yin He & Zhouyang Gu, 2019. "The Influence of Corporate Social Responsibility on Competitive Advantage with Multiple Mediations from Social Capital and Dynamic Capabilities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-16, January.
    15. Hélène Laurell & Leona Achtenhagen & Svante Andersson, 2017. "The changing role of network ties and critical capabilities in an international new venture’s early development," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 13(1), pages 113-140, March.
    16. Jim Andersén, 2023. "Green resource orchestration: A critical appraisal of the use of resource orchestration in environmental management research, and a research agenda for future study," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(8), pages 5506-5520, December.
    17. Sjödin, David & Liljeborg, Alexander & Mutter, Sermed, 2024. "Conceptualizing ecosystem management capabilities: Managing the ecosystem-organization interface," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    18. Jantunen, Ari & Tarkiainen, Anssi & Chari, Simos & Oghazi, Pejvak, 2018. "Dynamic capabilities, operational changes, and performance outcomes in the media industry," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 251-257.
    19. Yi-Ju Lo & Tung Hung, 2015. "Structure offshoring and returns on offshoring," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 32(2), pages 443-479, June.
    20. von den Driesch, Till & Eva Susanne da Costa, Maika & Christina Flatten, Tessa & Brettel, Malte, 2015. "How CEO experience, personality, and network affect firms' dynamic capabilities," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 245-256.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:jomstd:v:60:y:2023:i:1:p:242-278. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0022-2380 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.