A Group Identity Analysis of Organizations and Their Stakeholders: Porosity of Identity and Mobility of Attributes

I propose an ethnographic study on the incremental transformation of identity. Through an analysis of managerial perceptions of stakeholder influence, I suggest that identity is adaptive rather than enduring and that, to explain adaptive identity, group identity is more appropriate than an organizational identity perspective. The case study uses qualitative data collected in organizations manufacturing flavors and fragrances for the large consumer goods industries. The analysis reveals that attributes shared with clannish stakeholders gradually replace attributes of a claimed identity, and that, when confronting hostile stakeholders, organizations act in solidarity with clannish stakeholders. The discussion elaborates on the porosity of identity boundaries and the mobility of attributes, two important mechanisms that have emotional, behavioral, and strategic consequences.     

Taking Stock of the Century‐long Utilization of the Case Method in Management Education

Over the last century, the case method has been a key teaching tool in management education. This article takes stock of the main characteristics of the case method, clarifies its learning goals, and exposes the relationships between these goals and supporting learning theories, in particular active‐learning theory and experiential learning. It then examines the multiple variations of the case method that have developed over the years and discusses arguments against the case method. Finally, four proposals are made in view of strengthening the case method's value: extend case variety, moderate the case method's ambition to foster experiential learning, conduct empirical research about the case method's learning impacts, and emphasize the close relationship between case research and case teaching. Copyright © 2013 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Food for tourists—determinants of an image

Eating is a physical necessity, but catering services and food image are also very important ingredients of cultural tourism. Food and tourism are increasingly being combined, e.g. in agri‐tourism, wine tours and the sale of food products as souvenirs. However, as this paper illustrates, the development and standards of food for tourists are not determined uniformly by tourism policies, but more significantly by national economic, agricultural and food policies. A comparison between Denmark and Italy illustrates core elements in food cultures. Particularly in Denmark, food production is a major economic activity, and the power of the agricultural and food processing industries has in many cases compromised the quality image. In Italy, on the other hand, food policies and traditions, which give a high priority to freshness, intrinsically allow consumers to stay in control of food to a much larger extent than in Denmark. In both countries, a concentration of tourists in space and time tends to result in a decline of food profile. The paper concludes that only residents are in a position to put a more permanent pressure on food suppliers, and only if they are given the appropriate instruments. Further improvement of the food heritage in both countries (but especially in Denmark) will have to include a reconsideration, and probably changes, in food policies in more global terms. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.