Introducing organisational heritage: Linking corporate heritage, organisational identity and organisational memory

• Published in: The journal of brand management 2015-06, Vol.22 (5), p.385-411
• Main Authors: Balmer, John M T, Burghausen, Mario
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Brands; Business and Management; Conceptual Article; Corporate identity; Cultural heritage; Identification; Management; Marketing; Studies
• ISSN: 1350-231X; 1479-1803
• DOI: 10.1057/bm.2015.25

In this article we formally introduce and explicate the organisational heritage notion. The authors conclude organisational heritage can be designated in three broad ways as: (i) organisational heritage identity as the perceived and reminisced omni-temporal traits – both formal/utilitarian and normative/societal – of organisational members’ work organisation; (ii) organisational heritage identification as organisational members’ identification/self-categorisation vis-à-vis these perceived and reminisced omni-temporal traits of their work organisation; and (iii) organisational heritage cultural identification as organisational members’ multi-generational identification/self-categorisation vis-à-vis the perceived and reminisced omni-temporal traits of their work organisation’s corporate culture. To date, advances in heritage studies at the institutional level have primarily taken place within the broad corporate marketing paradigm. However, we are mindful of developments in the organisational memory field and the need to address and engage with organisational behaviour/management scholarship in the broad organisational identity domain. The realisation that there is a distinct genus of corporate heritage institution (corporate heritage identity) and brand (corporate heritage brand) represents a seismic shift in how scholars theorise about heritage institutions and corporate heritage brands and how the aforementioned are managed. In the development of a field concept introduction and explanation is a key means through which an area can progress and the explicit aim of this article is to achieve the aforementioned by our elucidation of the organisational heritage notion. We argue the literatures on corporate heritage identity, organisational identity and organisational memory are of assistance in appreciating the saliency of organisational heritage. As such, by building on embryonic scholarship in the corporate heritage this article aims to explicate the nature and significance of organisational heritage. The implications of organisational heritage for corporate heritage brands are also delineated.