Constructing and Maintaining Campaign Boundaries: The Interaction of Organizational Identity and Image -- CANCELLED

Recent studies of organizational formation have highlighted the centrality of organizational boundaries as manifest through dynamic interplay between internal and external forces.  In this paper we draw directly on the work of Montgomery and Oliver (2007; 2005) and their theorisation of the process of group formation, particularly the role of centrifugal and centripetal forces in shaping organization boundaries.  We seek to extend the insight offered by Montgomery and Oliver (2007) drawing on organizational identity literature to explore interactions between social identity and image.  Whereas Montgomery and Oliver (2007) link social identity theory and institutional theory to the development of group boundaries, we argue that ‘image’ is central to the effectiveness of an organization which relies upon a balance between how organizational ‘insiders’ view themselves and how ‘outsiders’ view the organization (Albert and Whetten, 1985).  Our empirical case is that of informal organization as we study a network of campaign groups that formed to oppose the development of a high speed rail line (HS2) linking two major cities (London and Birmingham) in England.  Drawing on qualitative research we explore the process of group formation with a focus on the campaign network against HS2, in particular the evolution of organizational image.  In so doing, we contribute to our understanding of the effective management of multiple organizational identities and explore how tensions are mediated at the organizational level.