Organizational identity: a critical analysis of Brazilian academic production from 2004 to 2009

Abstract

A certain discomfort was identified among academics when addressing organizational identity (OI) as an established field of scientific research. This is probably the case because there are many different definitions of OI that derive from distinct philosophical, epistemological and methodological perspectives, all of which contribute to the lack of conceptual clarity and empirical uncertainty around this subject. This article presents the main results of a study that aimed to identify the ontological, epistemological and methodological approaches of Brazilian academic literature regarding OI. To this end, an exploratory bibliographical survey was conducted aided by a qualitative method. The results point to similarities in the critique of both of Brazilian and of international academic production. One outcome concerns the omission of the criteria used to determine the characteristics of centrality, distinction and temporal continuity of the elements chosen as part of the identity of the organizations studied. Another relates to the abstract manner in which organizational studies address OI, several gaps having been highlighted. The article closes with recommendations to carry out further research on the subject in a more structured and consistent fashion in order to contribute effectively to the advancement of OI knowledge and theory building.