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ABSTRACT
Both practitioners and academics alike have directed increasing attention to the field of corporate identity. Despite significant contributions in the last several years towards understanding and identifying this concept, a definitive construct of corporate identity and its measurements does not yet exist. Much anecdotal literature and many case studies surround this area of study, but to date no research study has empirically tested the domain of this construct. This paper examines the definitions, models, and specific elements of corporate identity through a review of literature. Based on this review, a holistic corporate identity model is developed. This paper also discusses the challenges in developing the corporate identity construct.
INTRODUCTION
Firms have become increasingly aware of the importance of developing and managing their corporate identity. The identity of a corporation has been recognized as a strategic resource and source of competitive advantage. Effective management of corporate identity can serve to address the needs of the firm's important stakeholders by, for example, motivating employees, and by generally inspiring confidence in the company to all target groups (van Riel, 1995). Academic research into corporate identity is still very much linked to practice.
Corporate identity research is an emerging discipline which increasingly recognizes that the corporate brand is fundamentally different from the principles that guide classic brand management, since the corporate identity must be designed to appeal to all of the firm's stakeholders (Baker and Balmer, 1997; Melewar and Saunders, 2000). Despite the attention given to corporate identity over the past two decades, the actual definition of corporate identity is highly contentious and many have opted not to define the term precisely. A lack of consensus on the definitive notion of corporate identity as a construct has led to confusion with the usage of the term. The obvious implication for management of corporate identity is that it is very difficult to manage what cannot be precisely defined. According to a 1992 Mori survey, corporate identity was a major concern of CEOs, but many executives admit that they do not know how to manage, control, or even precisely define the term (Olins, 1995). The importance of corporate identity and its links to image and strategy are synthesized by van Rekom (1997): 'In the long term, management can...