Corporate identity: the interdisciplinary paradigm (marshalling the corporate
identity mix)
Starting with Olins (1978) and followed by Birkight and Stadler (1980) the
understanding of corporate identity has gradually broadened and is now taken
to indicate the way in which an organization's identity is revealed through
behaviour, communications, as well as through symbolism to internal and
external audiences. Both academics and consultants have realized that defining
identity can be problematic and as such the recently formed International
Corporate Identity Group (ICIG) whose steering committee includes academics
from Strathclyde, Erasmus and Harvard Business Schools, together with leading
consultants, have decided not to give a definition of corporate identity but rather
a statement which articulates the multidisciplinary nature of the area and its
difference from brand management. The so called "Strathclyde Statement" will
be found in the Appendix.