Ethical Scandal, Legacy Identity and Relationship Outcomes: Sensemaking of the Innocents

This article examines legacy identification within the context of a global service company that was dissolved following an ethical disgrace. The study was based on in-depth interviews with Latin American respondents who previously worked for the disgraced company, but were later hired by competitor...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Corporate reputation review 2011-06, Vol.14 (2), p.97-113
Main Authors: Lawrence, Katherine E, Raiborn, Cecily, Locander, William B
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Business and Management
Business ethics
Competition
Corporate Communication/Public Relations
Customer relations
Customer services
Employees
Employment
Ethics
Identification
Interviews
Legacy systems
Management
Marketing
Polls & surveys
Reputations
Scandals
Self esteem
Studies
The Contributors
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Description
Summary:This article examines legacy identification within the context of a global service company that was dissolved following an ethical disgrace. The study was based on in-depth interviews with Latin American respondents who previously worked for the disgraced company, but were later hired by competitor firms. Comparisons are drawn between legacy identity's influence on workplace relations versus client relations, thus uncovering nuances about the nature, motivators and consequences of legacy identity. Findings suggest that the legacy identity became the lens through which respondents interpreted the past, negotiated relationships and created a ‘new’ self. Managerial implications, limitations, future research directions are discussed in this article.
ISSN:1363-3589
1479-1889
DOI:10.1057/crr.2011.9