Olga Ivanova

Inequality, corporate legitimacy and the Occupy Wall Street movement

This exploratory study examines legitimacy challenges to business spawned by growing inequalities. It uses aesthetic inquiry in the context of the Occupy Wall Street movement to understand the processes of organizational legitimation and delegitimation. By studying photos of slogans and placards from the Occupy Wall Street movement, we show how corporate and business legitimacy are challenged by the public. We identify different types of legitimacy challenges across organizational systems’ levels. We explore implications of these challenges for corporations and the use of aesthetic strategies as delegitimation signals by Occupy Wall Street protesters in order to express their support or discontent with existing norms, values and standards.

The impact of globalization on legitimacy signals

Purpose – The aim of this paper is two‐fold: to examine the challenges that organizations that have originated in transition environments face when moving from one layer of the environment (local/national) to another one (international/global) and to enrich the understanding of the legitimacy concept by looking at two types of legitimacy (functional and relational) relevant to the organizations in transition environments trying to access the global marketplace.Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on the legitimacy needs of organizations evolving in transition environments and trying to access a different environmental layer, we developed a signalling theory of legitimacy.Findings – When trying to move from one layer of the environment to another one, organizations will use different types of legitimacy signals in order to address the liabilities they face.Research limitations/implications – The research examines organizations facing both drastic environmental changes and evolving in a global industry. Fu...

Back to the future: adoption and diffusion of innovation in retro-industries

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explain the emergence and existence of retro-industries. The paper proposes using a multidisciplinary approach to define the concept of retro-industries and to identify its specificities. Design/methodology/approach – Literature reviews in marketing and economics were used to create a model of innovation adoption and diffusion in retro-industries. Findings – The paper provides theoretical insights about the factors that foster retro-industries such as heritage, tradition, nostalgia and revival. The paper suggests that these factors influence innovations mechanisms and explain the use of the past to manage the challenges of the future. Originality/value – The paper enriches an identified need to analyse industry from retro perspective; and to identify the factors that foster the emergence of such industries.

Transition as a ubiquitous and a continuous process: overcoming the Western view

ABSTRACT This paper focuses on transition as an important concept in the current theories of change. In the Western thought, transition and change are concepts used interchangeably. Defined as transformations from one frozen state to another, they are perceived to be led and ‘owned’ by managers and leaders. In order to shed a new light on the concept of transition, we use the traditional Chinese thought interpreted by the French philosopher François Jullien who brings our attention to the potential of the situation beyond the human agency. Transitions are viewed as continuous and ubiquitous and not as step-wise processes limited between a starting and an ending point. In fact, this generic process is at the same time continuation and modification, and part of the natural evolution of life. Therefore, we advocate for pragmatic institutions in order to manage the transition periods as well as leaders ‘in shadow’ who do not ‘own’ the process of change and thus, can better accompany the transition periods without directly opposing the situation.

Osklen: the aesthetics of social change

Subject area Sustainable fashion. Study level/applicability Bachelor Degree/Master Degree, Master of Business Administration (MBA), PhD. Case overview The case focuses on Osklen, one of the world’s first eco-fashion brands, founded in 1989 by Oskar Metsavaht. For the past 26 years, Osklen had become Brazil’s foremost sustainable luxury venture, and since 2012, under first minority and then majority corporate ownership, pursued an aggressive global expansion strategy. The dilemma of the case juxtaposes Osklen’s creative aesthetics, which leverage unique Brazilian beauty in nature and heritage, with the financial pressures of global expansion. The tension is exacerbated by the 2015 corruption scandal, which decelerated the Brazilian economy and reduced consumer spending on sustainable luxuries in Osklen’s home market; it also risked compromising the appeal of Brazilian brands elsewhere. The case explores the complex interconnections between local and global aspects of sustainability and brings forward the environmental, social and cultural aspects of brands and business to the foreground. The case also illustrates how economic crises impact brands from the initial creative inspiration to the prospects of global expansion. Expected learning outcomes Students will master tools for strategic analysis (VRIN framework and scenario planning) to a company evolving in an emerging economy. They will learn about the ways to consider and communicate sustainability. Students will be exposed to the importance of aesthetics and multi-sensoriality in business activities. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes. Subject code CSS 11: Strategy

Signalling legitimacy for SMEs transition environments - the case of the Bulgarian IT Sector *

This research looks at legitimacy challenges of SMEs evolving in transition environments. Facing lower visibility, higher institutional pressures and limited resources, SMEs experience stronger need to demonstrate their legitimacy, their adherence to the requirements of evaluating audiences. Two types of legitimacy are discussed – functional and relational – that better capture the legitimacy needs of SMEs in transitional contexts. Being multi-dimensional constructs, their dimensions are identified, and measurements are proposed and tested using the structural equation modelling technique. The model was tested on data from the Bulgarian IT sector.

Signalling legitimacy in global contexts: the case of small wine producers in Bulgaria

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explain how small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) in transition environments overcome the liability of origin to gain their legitimacy in a global context. Design/methodology/approach Through semi-structured face-to-face interviews, this study investigates Bulgarian wine producers who evolve in transition environments and are looking for new means to restore their legitimacy both locally and globally. Findings The results show common patterns between Bulgarian wine producers to signal their legitimacy regarding the cognitive and normative pillars of legitimacy. However, in transition environments, signals of regulatory and industry legitimacy vary across firms to fit international standards and to create new local regulations. Research limitations/implications While this research focuses on the Central and Eastern European setting, future research examining transition environments can draw from the present findings in regards to legitimacy strategies adopted in times of drastic change. Practical implications This paper has practical implications which show that during transitions, SMEs in the wine industry go back to their roots by adopting norms and traditions that have persisted over time. Originality/value This paper contributes to legitimacy theory by proposing a process model of legitimacy – when faced with liabilities, SMEs can use signals of legitimacy to communicate their adherence to the stakeholders’ expectations.