ABSTRACT
Modern organizations are confronted with a series of unprecedented changes, such as largescale mergers and acquisitions, globalization, as well as the rise of virtual organizations made possible by new communication technologies. Accordingly, a manager’s universe is marked by increased complexity and uncertainty. The challenge for organizations and their leaders today is to remain coherent while dealing with the increasingly specific demands of its many different stakeholders. In such a world, identity plays a critical role because it provides meaning, stability, and distinctiveness. “Who are we?” is one of the most critical questions organizations and their executives need to address. Answering the identity question will bear on the positioning of the company, its structure, its culture, its communication strategy, and its human resource policies. In fact, it will inform much of what the company does. Executives are not, however, the only ones concerned with providing an answer: employees, clients, and various external audiences also have vested interests and will make certain that their voices are also heard. As a result, firms have multiple identities, and these identities have multiple facets. If well managed, they may be a source of competitive advantage, but left unattended, they may become liabilities.
