Organizational Identification Processes across Societal Contexts: The Case of a Non-governmental Organization for Socially Responsible Entrepreneurs

Drawing on organizational studies and intercultural management the paper raises the question of how to comprehend identification processes across societal contexts. The paper empirically explores organizational identification processes as narratives. The study argues, first, identification processes across social contexts are both taking place in face-to-face social interaction and as a result of imagining a belonging with organizational members that one rare if ever meet. Second, the paper contends that identity narratives with abstract template structures are particularly apt for internationalization. These narratives both leave large margins for local contextualization and for an ‘imagined’ community. These arguments will be substantiated on the basis of an explorative qualitative analysis of the internationalization of a French NGO for young business leader.