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Can business humanize its stakeholders? And if so, how does this relate to moral consideration for stakeholders? In this paper we compare two business orientations that are relevant for current business theory and practice: a stakeholder orientation and a profit orientation. We empirically investigate the causal relationships between business orientation, humanization, and moral consideration. We report the results of six experiments, making use of different operationalizations of a stakeholder and profit orientation, different stakeholders (employees, suppliers, labor unions), and different participant samples. Our findings support the prediction that individual stakeholders observing a stakeholder-oriented firm see the firm’s other stakeholders as more human than individual stakeholders observing a profit-oriented firm. This humanization, in turn, increases individual stakeholders’ moral consideration for the firm’s other stakeholders. Our findings underscore the importance of humanization for stakeholders’ moral consideration for each other. This paper contributes to a deeper understanding of the firm as a moral community of stakeholders. Specifically, we move away from a focus on managers, and how they can make business more moral. Instead we direct attention to (other) stakeholders, and how business can make these stakeholders more moral.

Esta dissertação tem como objetivo analisar o fenómeno da Identidade Organizacional (IO) na sua centralidade tautologicamente aceite e até agora inquestionada para proporcionar uma Abordagem Motivacional da Identidade Organizacional (AMIO) mediante os estudos efetuados em torno de uma antropomorfização. Para que serve a IO e qual é a sua função, entre outras questões. Este trabalho divide-se em duas partes e onze capítulos. A parte um, capítulo um a oito: abordámos conceitos e estado da arte numa perspetiva, cronológica e de análise dos atributos de base dimensional. Conceitos, algumas questões holográficas e ideográficas e tensões e dialéticas da IO. Visões paradoxais. Observámos quais as perspetivas existentes, problema e importância, o que vamos fazer e porquê. Efetuámos um ponto de situação do que se sabe sobre a IO, principais controvérsias e o que falta saber. Revisitámos a IO, e as questões recuperadas de Erikson para atender à IO. Explorámos o porquê de proposta de uma nova abordagem à IO, através da AMIO. Analisámos a contribuição da teoria da construção motivada da identidade individual. Dado que reunimos tudo para uma expansão da IO, observámos também, como ela tem sido medida e o que assumimos da teoria de Vignoles e colegas, para proporcionarmos esta nova abordagem e o que ela vem acrescentar ao nível organizacional. Na segunda parte, damos nota dos primeiros estudos empíricos efetuados. No primeiro estudo empírico, analisámos a proposição fundamental da AMIO, explorámos as relações entre a presença de cada um dos seis motivos da identidade e outras facetas da vida organizacional, através da análise multinível, entre outros recursos estatísticos. No segundo estudo empírico, validámos uma escala da perceção da identidade organizacional, com impacto especial na centralidade da IO. E por último apresentámos uma discussão e conclusão finais, para darmos conta do impacto da investigação efetuada em cada um dos estudos, limitações e propostas de investigação futura. Concluímos principalmente, que existem seis motivos da identidade organizacional: autoestima, continuidade, distintividade, significado, eficácia e pertença, que constituem a essência das organizações. E ainda, que a investigação futura pode usufruir do estudo isolado de cada um destes elementos determinantes para as organizações. This dissertation aims to analyze the phenomenon of Organizational Identity (OI) in its tautologically accepted centrality until now unquestioned to provide a Motivational Approach to Organizational Identity (MAOI) through the studies carried out around an anthropomorphization. What is the purpose of OI and what is its function, among other issues. This work is divided into two parts and eleven chapters. Part one, chapters one to eight: deals with concepts and state of the art in a chronological perspective and analysis of dimensionalbased attributes. We observe some holographic and ideographic questions and tensions and dialectics of OI. Paradoxical visions. We looked at the existing perspectives, problem and importance, what we are going to do and why. Situation of what is known about OI, main controversies and what is still unknown. We revisited OI, and the questions recovered from Erikson to meet it. We explored the reasons for proposing a new approach to OI through MAOI. Analysis and contribution of motivated identity construction theory for organizational level. Since we have gathered everything for an expansion of OI, we also see how it has been measured and what we assume from the theory of Vignoles and colleagues, to provide this new approach and what it adds to the organizational level. In the second part we note the first empirical studies carried out. in the first empirical study we analyzed MAOI’s fundamental proposition, we explore the relations between the presence of each of the six identity motives and other facets of organizational life, through multilevel analysis, among other statistical resources. In the second empirical study, we validate a scale of the perception of the OI, with special impact for the centrality of the OI. Finally, we present a final discussion and conclusion for each study, in order to account for the impact of the research carried out, limitations and proposals for future research. We concluded mainly that there are six motives of organizational identity: self-esteem, continuity, distinctiveness, meaning, efficacy and belonging, which constitute the essence of organizations. Future research can benefit from the isolated study of each of these elements that are decisive for organizations.

Advances in information technologies (IT) are creating unprecedented opportunities for interorganizational collaboration, particularly in large-scale distributed projects. The use of advanced IT in such projects can foster new forms of social exchange among organizations and change the way organizations view themselves in the context of their relationships. Despite a wealth of research on IT use, social exchange, and organizational identity, little is known about how new IT and the enactment of related IT affordances within interorganizational contexts enable social exchanges and organizational identity orientations. To address this gap, we conduct multiple case studies that describe the changing use of two-dimensional computer-aided design technology and new three-dimensional modeling technologies by a leading metal fabrication company in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry. The case studies demonstrate that changes in the company’s IT and the enactment of related IT affordances within variable interorganizational contexts enable new forms of social exchanges. These exchanges, in turn, provide the context for the rearticulation of the company’s identity orientation. Based on these insights, we formulate a theoretical model to delineate the relationships between IT use, IT affordances, social exchanges, and identity orientation. We conclude by outlining the implications of our study and suggesting possible avenues for future research.

In coordinated market economies, the role distribution is clear: the state provides welfare services and businesses conduct business. In the welfare state of Sweden, however, businesses address social issues and thus transcend their traditional role. How this is perceived as legitimate behavior is curious and understanding how businesses reconcile these actions with the coordinated market logic can inform us of how the modern welfare state evolves. This thesis therefore aims to increase the understanding of how CSR activities that traditionally are viewed as governmental concerns can be perceived as legitimate business practice in a modern welfare state. To achieve this, a qualitative study of how businesses rationalize CSR activities in the regulated area of Swedish education was conducted. To derive meaning from the rationalizations, theory of organizational identity was used. From the study, companies were found to mainly express collectivistic identity orientations towards their activities within education, but individualistic, relational, and hybrid orientations were found as well. Based on these rationalizations, we conclude that to understand how CSR activities that interfere with governmental concerns can be perceived as legitimate from the business perspective, we must assume influence of not only the coordinated but the liberal market logic as well.