aligning identity, action and purpose
If you have any questions, ideas or examples that you think this blog should address, please send me an email at CVHarquail@AuthenticOrganizations.com or @CVHarquail on Twitter.
Speaking at the Corporate Reputation Conference in Amsterdam, June 09
I am an organizational identity and reputation scholar with a PhD in leadership & organizations. I research, write, teach and consult with organizations about the relationships between organizational identity, actions, and purpose. See the About page for my bio.
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi CV: I sent a reply post to your post on the Work from Within blog, and I’m excited about what you do! Looks like we both know Neil Crofts, too. I haven’t spoken with him in quite a while, and looks like you bring a more researched approach, but I’m thankful to have both of you out there promoting authenticity. Hooray!
Wishing you all the best,
Susan
CV:
I was pointed in this direction by Jim Gilmore, co-author of the terrific “Authenticity.” Seems as though a kind of authenticity trinity (authentrinity?) has come together this week, adding your blog to:
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/02/authenticity.html
and
http://authenticitybook.com/2009/02/20/the-promise-of-authenticity-or-how-i-learned-to-love-instant-coffee/
Great stuff…I can’t wait to dive in.
Ed
just landed after reading you comment on personal branding and now I got to see where our views meet
Hey I read your story about Wal-mart and the Girl Scout cookies. Hey look, I love Girl Scout cookies. Honestly I don’t care who I buy them from. I don’t buy 20 boxes of cookies just because I want to support a dying organization like the Girl Scouts, I buy them because they taste good.
If Wal-mart is willing to sell them year round then I think that’s a wonderful idea and I’m going to organize others who feel the same way and send Wal-mart letters of support. If the Girl Scouts decided to sell them year round, then I’ll buy from them too, it doesn’t matter to me.
Keith
Your blog regarding Wal-Mart and Girl Scout cookies has certainly drawn much attention, including my own. Particularly considering your education and background, I am curious what type of research you conducted regarding the impact this will actually have on sales of the “real thing.” Honestly, the note struck me as having an emotional tone backed by little objective proof of the impact Wal-Mart will have on the unique organization that is the Girl Scouts.
While it will almost certainly impact sales on some level, it seems that people buy those cookies from Girl Scouts, in large part, to support the Girl Scouts. This is presumably the same reason people purchase rather expensive popcorn from Boy Scouts although numerous brands are cheaper and of equal quality. I believe this same theory could be applied to many overpriced goods schools send children out to sell as fund-raising activities.
To be honest, I have not read all of your replies to the comments accompanying the blog, but I did see the remark about “dumb comments.” I suppose I feel compelled to add my “dumb comment” to the pile and say that as I read the blog I too felt that you made the Girl Scouts sound like an elitist organization that should be above any form of competition.
I must admit that my ears always perk up when I hear someone bashing Wal-Mart because, while they have certainly had their problems, they are simply the easiest target because they are so effective in what they do. The “best” so frequently seems to be an easy target (reasoning by analogy, I point to the New York Yankees in baseball, the United States in the “world setting,” or McDonald’s in food service–each example is widely considered the “best” and each draws ire as a result).
I hope these comments do not offend you, as that is certainly not my intent. I just wanted to point out that a seemingly emotion-driven blog that appeared to accuse Wal-Mart of attacking the Girl Scouts led to emotional “dumb” responses, including my own.
Sincerely,
Bryan
I think you made a mistake commenting about Walmart. You made the green monster very mad. I just found out that Walmart has made a corporate decision in New Mexico. They will not allow Girl Scouts to sell their cookies at their store this coming season. TOO SAD!
We have posted a link on our website to your blog to encourage our visitors to check out your work and encourage ‘authenticity’…thank you! http://www.sethink.com/about.htm
your ideas remind me mary parker follet concerning collectve ,vollantary work and action to improve the quality of life for all pepole arownd organization s.
woud you accept me as agent for authentic org. in the midle east contries who speaks arabic.
best regards
amir