Identity Tensions During an NGO Name Change: How Managers Experience an International Organization’s Rebranding Effort

Corporate rebranding: An internal perspective

“…On that basis one could argue that the employees that take a keen interest and participate in any rebranding activity (eg; brand ambassadors training) are those that have a higher degree of identification with the organisation and the corporate brand. Research conducted by Gilstrap and Smith (2016) on an NGO's name change rebranding initiative highlighted that managers experienced tensions in their identification with the organisation based on how the rebranding process was carried out by the leadership. Inclusivity in the rebranding process was emphasised for the managers to have a higher degree of identification (Gilstrap and Smith, 2016).…”

“…Research conducted by Gilstrap and Smith (2016) on an NGO's name change rebranding initiative highlighted that managers experienced tensions in their identification with the organisation based on how the rebranding process was carried out by the leadership. Inclusivity in the rebranding process was emphasised for the managers to have a higher degree of identification (Gilstrap and Smith, 2016). This study however only addresses organisational identification and not the employee's identification with the new corporate brand name.…”

“…Previous studies have focused on external stakeholders and in other sectors, which makes this study unique. A few studies have examined internal aspects of corporate rebranding such as culture (Gotsi et al, 2008), employee identity and identification in nonprofit organisations (Gilstrap & Smith, 2016;Stuart, 2012) however none have examined corporate brand engagement of employees, rebranding communication and corporate brand identification collectively when an organisation undergoes rebranding. This is also one of the few studies to collectively examine constructs from Organisational Behaviour, HR and Marketing related to an employee when an institution undergoes rebranding.…”

Unveiling Research Trends for Organizational Reputation in the Nonprofit Sector

“…Moreover, the number of nonprofits has grown, which has made this sector even more competitive and led to a greater emphasis on building strong brand images to differentiate these organizations from their nonprofit peers. Their managers can achieve a better reputation by facing important challenges in the marketing domain such as corporate image, identity, brand, and efforts to rebrand (Gilstrap and Smith 2016).…”