Managing and adapting organizational identity : A qualitative case study using a strategy-as-practice perspective to investigate an IT consultant organization

Sammanfattning: Evolution of IT has resulted in fundamental changes in society, changes that have affected the IT consultant industry and introduced challenges in how IT consultant organizations should adapt to a new, turbulent market. In order to investigate these challenges this study set out to understand the organizational identity of IT consultant organizations, aiming to address the following research question: How do IT consultant organizations manage and adapt their organizational identity? To answer this question a qualitative single case study has been conducted using Whittington’s integrated framework for strategy-as-practice as a theoretical framework. The results show that the case organization of this study manages and adapts their organizational identity by adjusting its work procedures to the new market as well as their role in the relationship with customers. The results also indicate that the case organization manages and adapts their organizational identity by balancing the identity established by headquarter and the identity set by themselves in regard to their local context. These results demonstrate the possibilities of multiple organizational identities within an organization.