April 2008

Can a for-profit business organization that also pursues a social purpose be authentic?

April 24, 2008

Tweet There are so many examples of for-profit organizations whose for-purpose actions are suspect that it’s a little scary to bring up the subject. Where do we even begin? We should probably start by acknowledging that the questionable relationship between a ‘for-profit’ organizational identity and ‘for-purpose’ actions (aka: non-profit, socially responsible, charitable, philanthropic, etc.) is […]

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3 Questions for a “Quick and Dirty” Assessment of Your Organization’s Authenticity

April 12, 2008

Tweet An authentic organization, very simply, is an organization whose identity, image and actions are congruent with each other. Identity is reflected in image and actions, Image accurately describes identity and actions, and actions express identity and image. How can you know whether and how your organization is authentic? It takes a deep inquiry and […]

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Rebranding Opportunities for the American Red Cross?

April 10, 2008

Tweet The American Red Cross has appointed a new CEO, Gail J. McGovern. McGovern, currently a marketing professor at the Harvard Business School, has many years of experince at for profit and nonprofit organizations. Announcements of the new CEO mention the trials of the American Red Cross, noting that the organization has had 7 CEOs […]

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Authenticity: Is it Organizational or is it Marketing?

April 8, 2008

Tweet Of all the current conversations about authenticity and organizations, none is more vibrant- and confused- than the conversation that mingles authenticity, authentic brands and authentic organizations. The Harvard Business Review March 2008 issue has a case by David Weinberger about the fictional Hunsk Engines, entitled “Authenticity: Is it Real or is it Marketing?“This case […]

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My Favorite InAuthentic Organization is…

April 1, 2008

Tweet … The International Federation of Anarchists. Consider the conceptual contradictions between identity, action, and purpose.

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