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They Put Themselves Out There: A Longitudinal Study of Organizational Expressiveness

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  • Arild Wæraas

    (Norwegian University of Life Sciences)

Abstract

This longitudinal study analyzes organizational expressiveness over a 35-year period. On the basis of 1307 official self-narratives retrieved from employment advertisements published in a major Norwegian newspaper between 1980 and 2015, the study tracks the expression of organizational identity labels over time. It seeks to determine how organizational expressiveness evolves and changes in symbolic meaning, including which overarching identity—the utilitarian or the normative identity—becomes more prevalent over time. Specifically, expressed labels change (1) in terms of their prevalence, suggesting that some labels display increasing long-term trends, whereas others display declining trends, and (2) in terms of their composition and meaning, suggesting that organizations gradually rely on an increasing portfolio of labels to express who they are and what they represent. Over time, these changes weaken the expression of a utilitarian identity, whereas the normative identity is strengthened.

Suggested Citation

  • Arild Wæraas, 2020. "They Put Themselves Out There: A Longitudinal Study of Organizational Expressiveness," Corporate Reputation Review, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 23(4), pages 267-279, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:crepre:v:23:y:2020:i:4:d:10.1057_s41299-019-00085-x
    DOI: 10.1057/s41299-019-00085-x
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