Identity Ambiguity and Change in the Wake of a Corporate Spin-off

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Abstract

We report on the findings of an inductive, interpretive case study of organizational identity change in the spin-off of a Fortune 100 company's top-performing organizational unit into an independent organization. We examined the processes by which the labels and meanings associated with the organization's identity underwent changes during and after the spin-off, as well as how the organization responded to these changes. The emergent model of identity change revolved around a collective state of identity ambiguity, the details of which provide insight into processes whereby organizational identity change can occur. Additionally, our findings revealed previously unreported aspects of organizational change, including organization members' collective experience of “change overload” and the presence of temporal identity discrepancies in the emergence of the identity ambiguity.

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Most writing on sociological method has been concerned with how accurate facts can be obtained and how theory can thereby be more rigorously tested. In The Discovery of Grounded Theory, Barney Glaser and Anselm Strauss address the equally Important enterprise of how the discovery of theory from data--systematically obtained and analyzed in social research--can be furthered. The discovery of theory from data--grounded theory--is a major task confronting sociology, for such a theory fits empirical situations, and is understandable to sociologists and laymen alike. Most important, it provides relevant predictions, explanations, interpretations, and applications.In Part I of the book, Generation Theory by Comparative Analysis, the authors present a strategy whereby sociologists can facilitate the discovery of grounded theory, both substantive and formal. This strategy involves the systematic choice and study of several comparison groups. In Part II, The Flexible Use of Data, the generation of theory from qualitative, especially documentary, and quantitative data Is considered. In Part III, Implications of Grounded Theory, Glaser and Strauss examine the credibility of grounded theory.The Discovery of Grounded Theory is directed toward improving social scientists' capacity for generating theory that will be relevant to their research. While aimed primarily at sociologists, it will be useful to anyone Interested In studying social phenomena--political, educational, economic, industrial-- especially If their studies are based on qualitative data.

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Author and article information

Journal

Title: Administrative Science Quarterly

Abbreviated Title: Administrative Science Quarterly

Publisher: JSTOR

ISSN (Print): 0001-8392

ISSN (Electronic): 1930-3815

Publication date Created: June 2004

Publication date (Electronic): June 23 2016

Publication date (Print): June 2004

Volume: 49

Issue: 2

Pages: 173-208

Affiliations

[1 ] University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

[2 ] The Pennsylvania State University

Article

DOI: 10.2307/4131471

SO-VID: 254d99b9-972f-4f1d-a68f-761191bc26db

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http://journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license

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