The Oxford Handbook of Organizational Identity

This Handbook provides a thorough exploration of organizational identity, its significance, and its implications for leadership and change within organizations.

In recent years, the study of organizational identity has gained significant traction within management and organizational studies. The Oxford Handbook of Organizational Identity serves as a comprehensive introduction to this dynamic field, offering insights into how organizations define themselves and their purpose in relation to both internal and external stakeholders. This Handbook presents a broad spectrum of essential theories and methodologies that underpin the examination of organizational identity, reflecting its growing relevance in contemporary research.

The concept of organizational identity (OI) delves into the self-definitions that organizations adopt, exploring how these identities evolve over time and their implications for leadership, change, and overall organizational effectiveness. The Oxford Handbook of Organizational Identity emphasizes the relational nature of OI, posing critical questions such as 'Who are we?' and 'Who are we becoming as a collective?' This focus on identity fosters a deeper understanding of the connections between various constructs, often seen as oppositional, such as 'us' versus 'them' or 'similar' versus 'different'.

Structured into over 25 chapters across seven sections, the Handbook offers a roadmap to the OI field. Each chapter not only provides an overview of its specific topic but also contributes to the advancement of knowledge and discusses future research directions. By highlighting the inherent usefulness of understanding one's identity, the Oxford Handbook of Organizational Identity underscores the importance of articulating what an organization stands for and the promises it makes to its stakeholders.