Discursive strategies for internal legitimacy: Narrating the alternative organizational form

A significant body of academic work has explored the ways in which hybrid organizations seek to secure external legitimacy. However, there is a more limited understanding organizational units acquire internal legitimacy – conferred by stakeholders. This study draws on than century communications Dutch cooperative bank uncover how major unit enacted distinct discursive strategies The paper extends prior showing efforts shape, reinforce, or suppress judgments organization dynamic process whereby an generates multiple complementary narratives promote fit between its own attributes and evaluations audiences. In addition, it shows can this attempting manipulate not only impressions unit's attributes, but also audiences’ wider cultural norms day, their are based. vein, highlights seeks generate taken-for-granted position for concerned.