Bulletin n. 1-2/2014
November 2014
CONTENTS
  • Section A) The theory and practise of the federal states and multi-level systems of government
  • Section B) Global governance and international organizations
  • Section C) Regional integration processes
  • Section D) Federalism as a political idea
  • Rondeaux Giseline
    What are the dynamics of organizational identification in the course of modernization processes Analysis of a Belgian administration
    in International Review of Administrative Sciences , vol. 80 - No. 1 ,  2014
    In the course of reform, organizational identity emerges as a prominent issue. While the process of modernizing the administration sets out to redefine this identity, how is this experienced by its members? What are the identity dynamics at work in terms of their perception of changes in their environment? By analysing the Copernic reform in Belgium, we inductively developed a typology of identity rationales and profiles (Rondeaux, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010). On this basis, we conducted a questionnaire survey in a regional administration engaged in reform. Our analysis highlights the coexistence of different identity rationales and diverse perceptions of the environment, which are congruent or dissonant with them. The results underline the importance of the environment and of its perception in organizational identification processes and confirms the hypothesis of identity hybridization, providing also an empirical basis for the integrative approach of Ravasi and Schultz (2006). Points for practitioners This article proposes an identity interpretive framework for reform processes, considering both the institutionalized organizational identity, at the heart of the modernization project and various alternative rationales contributed by the civil servants. Our analysis highlights the diverse perceptions of the environment in the light of the identities present and underlines the practical implications of such an approach in terms of change management.
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