Journal of Political Institutions and Political Economy > Vol 1 > Issue 3

Identity and Information in Organizations

John W. Patty, Emory University, jwpatty@gmail.com , Elizabeth Maggie Penn, Emory University, elizabeth.m.penn@gmail.com
 
Suggested Citation
John W. Patty and Elizabeth Maggie Penn (2020), "Identity and Information in Organizations", Journal of Political Institutions and Political Economy: Vol. 1: No. 3, pp 379-416. http://dx.doi.org/10.1561/113.00000014

Publication Date: 24 Aug 2020
© 2020 J. W. Patty and E. M. Penn
 
Subjects
Political economy,  Bureaucracy: Public administration
 
Keywords
Performancemissiongoalsleadershipcheap talk
 

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In this article:
Organizational Identity 
The Model 
Equilibrium Analysis with Fixed Mission 
Institutional Design with Organizational Identity 
Communication and Transactional Authority 
Conclusion 
A. Examples of Informational Environments 
B. Loyalty Equilibria 
C. Derivations and Proofs (For Online Publication) 
References 

Abstract

Identity, reputation, and culture represent ways to understand why organizations with similar structures and memberships nevertheless behave differently. While a large body of work has advanced our understanding of the effects of formal institutional details such as delegation, hierarchy, transparency, and oversight on organizational behavior, less attention has been paid to informal institutional details such as shared mission, professionalism, and other bases of organizational identity. We present a theory of organizational decision-making that incorporates organizational identity in the form of "mission." The degree to which individuals will be motivated to adopt their organization's mission will be influenced by both the preferences of others within, and the structure of, the organization. Thus, we provide a theory of endogenous preferences within organizations that incorporates features of both formal and informal institutions.

DOI:10.1561/113.00000014

Companion

Journal of Political Institutions and Political Economy, Volume 1, Issue 3 Special issue - Frontiers in Political Economy
See the other articles that are part of this special issue.