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  • 2015
  • Chapter
  • Leading Sustainable Change: An Organizational Perspective

Staying the Same While Changing: Organizational Identity in the Face of Environmental Challenges

By: Mary Ann Glynn, Christi Lockwood and Ryan Raffaelli
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Abstract

We explore the role of organizational identity in the adoption of new sustainability practices, focusing on how identity functions as a driver of (or sometimes a drag on) adoption. Drawing on illustrations from the U.S. hotel industry, we examine how sustainability practices diffused across firms. Focusing on two exemplar hotels, we show sustainability is not only "what we do" as an organization, but also "who we are." We discuss avenues for future research on sustainability from an identity perspective and reflect on implications for practice.

Keywords

Organizational Change and Adaptation; Mission and Purpose; Organizational Culture; Environmental Sustainability; Adoption; Accommodations Industry; United States

Citation

Glynn, Mary Ann, Christi Lockwood, and Ryan Raffaelli. "Staying the Same While Changing: Organizational Identity in the Face of Environmental Challenges." In Leading Sustainable Change: An Organizational Perspective, edited by Rebecca Henderson, Ranjay Gulati, and Michael Tushman. Oxford University Press, 2015.

About The Author

Ryan L. Raffaelli

Organizational Behavior
→More Publications

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More from the Authors
  • Moleskine Foundation: Can Creativity Change the World? By: Ryan Raffaelli, Alexandra C. Feldberg and Sarah Gulick
  • Institutional Emplacement and the Novel Resurgence of Independent Bookstores By: Ryan Raffaelli and Ryann Noe
  • Leader Action Orientations By: Ryan Raffaelli, Akshaya Varghese and Laura Weimer
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