Abstract

The goals set by an organization and the plans, resources and people deployed to work towards these objectives have an impact on firm performance and ultimately firm survivability. An organization’s identity, what is central, enduring and distinct about a firm may also have an impact on firm performance and ultimately its survivability (Albert & Whetten, 1985). A neglected area of study, the relationship between strategy and organizational identity, will be the core focus of this exploratory study.

This thesis aims to explore whether parallelisms between organizational identity and strategy exist, and whether these parallelisms may affect firm performance. Using the constructs of Organizational Identity Orientation (Brickson, 2005; Brickson, 2007) and Strategic Typology (Miles & Snow, 1978), the research questions are explored through a multimethod approach. 25 firms in the Information Technology consulting industry in Ottawa participated in this study; a top management representative from each firm participated in an interview and completed a questionnaire. Qualitative and quantitative results suggest support for some parallelisms between the constructs, such as the compatibilities shared between Relational organizational identity and Defender strategy. Limitations of study are discussed, and propositions for future research are developed and contributions to the field explored.