History as Organizing: Uses of the Past in Organization Studies

Wadhwani, R. Daniel; Suddaby, Roy; Mordhorst, Mads; Popp, Andrew

doi:10.1177/0170840618814867

Cited by 118 publications

(153 citation statements)

References 105 publications

(154 reference statements)

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“…An interesting trajectory of this body of work focuses on how organizations “use” history as a resource, and—most important for our purposes—how present‐day managers use the past for strategy making (Suddaby et al, ; Wadhwani, Suddaby, Mordhorst, & Popp, ). The antecedents of this stream of research can be found in philosophical and historical analyses that have offered insights into how accounts of the past are retrospective reconstructions (Ricoeur, ; White, ), or how our interpretations or narratives are not neutral but politically charged (Foucault, , ).…”

Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dealing with revered past: Historical identity statements and strategic change in Japanese family firms

Sasaki

Kotlar

Ravasi

et al. 2019

Strategic Management Journal

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Research Summary This paper examines how strategy‐makers attempt to reconcile change initiatives with organizational values and principles laid out long before, still encased in strategic identity statements such as corporate mottos and philosophies. It reveals three discursive strategies that strategy‐makers use to establish a sense of continuity in time of change: elaborating (transferring part of the content of the historical statement into a new one), recovering (forging a new statement based on the retrieval and re‐use of historical references), and decoupling (allowing the co‐existence of the historical statement and a contemporary one). By so doing, our study advances research on uses of the past, establishes important linkages between identity and strategy research, and enhances our understanding of the intergenerational transfer of values in family firms. Managerial Summary Crafting a new corporate philosophy or mission statement can help implement strategic change, but can also be experienced as a disruption in people's sense of “who we are” as an organization. This paper reveals a variety of strategies that managers can use to deal with the tension between promoting change and maintaining a sense of continuity with a distant, revered past. By doing so, it helps managers confronting these issues deal with the enabling and constraining effects of the past. While this is a more general challenge for organizations with historical legacies, it is a particularly delicate issue for family firms grappling with the need to transfer values from one generation to the next, while retaining flexibility to change and adapt over time.

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Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dealing with revered past: Historical identity statements and strategic change in Japanese family firms

Sasaki

Kotlar

Ravasi

et al. 2019

Strategic Management Journal

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“…Stutz and Schrempf-Stirling (2019) provide conceptual definitions of (ir)responsible uses of the past by managers and present them as a matter of moral integrity. In doing so, they also connect to the lively conversations of the so-called "uses of the past" approach (Suddaby et al 2010;Wadhwani et al 2018), which has mostly avoided questioning the ethics of managerial history-work.…”

Section: Past-as-csr Perspective: Hcsr and The Living Pastmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Past, History, and Corporate Social Responsibility

2019

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An emerging body of research recognizes the importance of the past and history for corporate social responsibility (CSR) scholarship and practice. However, the meanings that scholars and practitioners can ascribe to the past and history differ fundamentally, posing challenges to the integration of history and CSR thinking. This essay reviews diverse approaches and proposes a broad conceptualization of the relationship between the past, history, and CSR. We suggest historical CSR as an umbrella term that comprises three distinct theoretical perspectives. The "past-of-CSR" perspective is concerned with the history of CSR and business ethics as a set of concepts and practices. The "past-in-CSR" perspective involves employing empirical historical research to substantiate and elaborate CSR concepts and theories. Finally, the "past-as-CSR" perspective seeks to understand the past as a living, yet contested, facet of current organizations, influencing contemporary perceptions of corporate and managerial responsibility. We then elaborate on conceptual issues and paths that may prove useful for future research. In all, this essay and the thematic symposium it precedes strive to deepen and broaden the salience of the past and history for thinking about business ethics and business responsibilities.Publisher's Note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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“…He gave a lengthy speech in India in September 1933 and had it circulated widely through the consulate and the Indian press. In this speech, he played up the joint plight of the two countries, and carefully laid out the (alleged) parallels between nationalistic India and Nazi Germany (Urchs' speech 13 Sept. 1933, R 77416, PA), using historical rhetoric to foster his strategic agenda (Lubinski, ; Suddaby, Foster, & Quinn, ; Wadhwani, Suddaby, Mordhorst, & Popp, ).…”

Section: German Mnes In Interwar Indiamentioning

confidence: 99%

Geopolitical jockeying: Economic nationalism and multinational strategy in historical perspective

Lubinski

Wadhwani

2019

Strategic Management Journal

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Research Summary We explore multinational strategy formation in the context of rising economic nationalism. Specifically, we examine how firms develop strategies to capitalize on the historical and aspirational attributes of national identity. Analyzing the histories of two German multinationals in late colonial India, we find that these firms engaged in “geopolitical jockeying” to delegitimize rival multinationals and position themselves as complementary to the economic and political goals of the host nation. Toward that end they employed “aspirational political practices,” addressing the inherently future‐oriented character of nationalism, and invested in the development of political capabilities to gather information and shape perceptions of national contexts. The paper contributes to a more robust conceptualization of nations and nationalism and their role in the formation of international competition and strategy. Managerial Summary Rising economic nationalism can create political and economic opportunities as well as threats for multinational firms. Through a historical analysis of the emerging strategy of two German companies—Siemens and Bayer—in late colonial India, we show how firms can engage in “geopolitical jockeying” to delegitimize rival multinationals and position themselves as complementary to the economic and political goals of host nations. To do so the companies engaged in “aspirational political practices,” addressing the inherently future or goal‐oriented aspects of nations, and created political capabilities designed to both gather intelligence on and shape the nationalist movements. The paper uses history as a mirror for reflecting on the causes and consequences of economic nationalism for international strategy in our own time.

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History as Organizing: Uses of the Past in Organization Studies

Cited by 118 publications

References 105 publications

Dealing with revered past: Historical identity statements and strategic change in Japanese family firms

Dealing with revered past: Historical identity statements and strategic change in Japanese family firms

The Past, History, and Corporate Social Responsibility

Geopolitical jockeying: Economic nationalism and multinational strategy in historical perspective

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