The Essence of Who We Are

Organizational Identity (OI) has traditionally been defined as those core, distinctive, and enduring features unique to an institution; however, advances in organizational research prompt a reconceptualization of OI in light of communication's role in projecting and maintaining the modern organization's identity. This book offers a revised definition of OI emphasizing a company's communicated values as central to its identity. The author then develops and applies a method for OI assessment in a case study examining the first five years of a fledgling organization: The United Church of God, an International Association. Results of a longitudinal study indicate that United generally projects a similar value pattern from 1995-2000 with slight variation. Based on these results, three findings are advanced regarding United's OI. The implications of this study are addressed in terms of what they mean for United and for OI inquiry, in general.