ORGANIZATIONAL IDENTITY AT A NIGERIAN INTEGRATED FOOD PROCESSING COMPANY: THE CASE OF FEED ME VENTURES LIMITED by Temiloluwa Olugbotemi Wright A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Purdue University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Master of Science Brian Lamb School of Communication West Lafayette, Indiana December 2018 2 THE PURDUE UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL STATEMENT OF COMMITTEE APPROVAL Dr. Joshua Boyd, Chair Brian Lamb School of Communication Dr. Stacey Connaughton Brian Lamb School of Communication Dr. Ellen Kossek Department of Organizational Behavior/Human Resources Approved by: Dr. Marifran Mattson Head of the Graduate Program 3 To Tiṣé 4 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I will like to thank my advisor, Dr Josh Boyd of the Brian Lamb School of Communication, who has supported my work from the earliest stages of this project. He has pushed me through the many hoops in getting this work completed. There were moments that I grew weary, but your support never wavered. I appreciate every minute you have spent on this study making it better and providing me with direction. Thank you so much sir. I also acknowledge the efforts of the experts who joined my advisor on my committee to evaluate my research and push my work even further. Dr Stacey Connaughton and Dr Ellen Kossek, thank you very much. I appreciate every comment and suggestion you gave me. They all enriched the study in ways I did not imagine. Without the informed and passionate input of my committee, there is no telling what this study would have been. Thank you all for your ideas which you freely shared with me. I will also like to acknowledge Dr Brian Smith, Dr Wayne Wright and Dr Kathryn Obenchain at Purdue University. Your classes on research methods really helped me clarify my goals. The lessons became the very tools that served me during data collection. Thank you for your teaching. I will like to thank Mr Sola Olawale and his team for the opportunities they provided me in making this study successful. Uncle Sola, you continue to serve as an inspiration to me. I will like to thank Dr Tomi Alade at the University of Lagos who provided me with resources that allowed me access to conduct research in Nigeria. Thank you for your support that has been there from day one. Modupe ma! Finally, my biggest support has come from Opeyemi Fasipe who stood by me, rooted for me and was very present in ensuring that my efforts on this study and in school are successful. Thank you for loving me and being present for me when you didn’t have to be. Thank you for taking my concerns to heart and making them yours. Thank you for understanding when I couldn’t be present. Thank you for your unfailing and ever-present love. You have spent yourself and your resources for my growth. This project could not have worked out without your understanding and support. Thank you so much. I look forward to many more milestones together. 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................................ 7 ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................... 8 IN THE BEGINNING ........................................................................................ 10 1.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 10 1.1.1 The Research Problem: ........................................................................................... 12 1.1.2 Purpose of the study ................................................................................................ 12 1.1.3 Significance of the study ......................................................................................... 14 1.1.4 Situating this study within Communication ............................................................ 14 1.2 Literature Review ........................................................................................................... 16 1.2.1 What is Organizational Identity? ............................................................................. 16 1.3 The difference between organizational identity and organizational identity claims ...... 21 1.3.1.1 The Founder’s vision and organizational identity ................................................ 23 1.3.1.2 The Paradigmatic Approaches to Studying Organizational Identity .................... 26 THE CASE OF NON-WESTERN NIGERIA .................................................... 33 2.1 Locating The Study In Nigeria: The Environmental Variables ...................................... 33 2.1.1 Political system ....................................................................................................... 35 2.1.2 Level of Economic development ............................................................................. 40 2.2 Culture ............................................................................................................................ 48 2.2.1 Activism .................................................................................................................. 64 2.2.2 Media ....................................................................................................................... 67 2.2.3 Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 71 CRAFT AND CONVENTION........................................................................... 73 3.1 Methodology ................................................................................................................... 73 3.1.1 Problem, Purpose and Rationale for the study as Qualitative Research ................. 73 3.1.2 Paradigm, epistemology and ontology .................................................................... 76 3.1.3 Historical and Philosophical Roots of the Case Study Approach ........................... 77 3.1.4 Methods and Methodological Decisions ................................................................. 81 3.1.5 Analysis and Drawing Conclusions ........................................................................ 90 3.1.6 Inductive Analytical Strategy .................................................................................. 92 6 3.1.7 Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 96 FINDINGS .......................................................................................................... 99 4.1 Findings .......................................................................................................................... 99 4.1.1 Quality ................................................................................................................... 110 4.1.2 Integrity ................................................................................................................. 114 4.1.3 Family Business .................................................................................................... 117 TAKING CLAIMS APART FROM UNDERSTANDING: THE OI GAP ..... 130 5.1.1 Who are we: When OI claims match OI understanding ........................................ 133 5.1.2 Who are we: Organizational Identity developed along the way ........................... 136 5.1.3 The OI Gap: When OI claims and OI understanding do not match ...................... 140 5.1.4 Who are we: When OI understanding does not emanate from OI claims ............. 144 IN THE END… ................................................................................................ 153 6.1 Discussion ..................................................................................................................... 153 6.1.1 Organizational Identity at FEMVEL as Central, Distinctive and Enduring ......... 153 6.1.2 The Adaptability Dimension of Organizational Identity ....................................... 156 6.1.3 OI Claims, OI understanding and the OI Gap ....................................................... 162 6.1.4 An addendum for culture and the environment ..................................................... 168 6.1.4.1 Power Distance ................................................................................................... 168 6.1.4.2 Polychrony ......................................................................................................... 171 6.1.4.3 Economic stress .................................................................................................. 173 6.1.5 Implications for Communication .......................................................................... 175 6.2 Recommendations ........................................................................................................ 177 6.3 Limitations .................................................................................................................... 180 6.4 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 183 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................... 185 APPENDIX A. INFORMED CONSENT FORM .................................................................... 214 APPENDIX B. ORGANIZATIONAL IDENTITY SAMPLE INTERVIEW PROTOCOLS .. 219 APPENDIX C. LOCAL APPROVAL LETTER ......................................................................