The John Molson School of Business Concordia University Research Chair in Management presents Kimberly D. Elsbach, Professor Of Management and Stephen G. Newberry Chair in Leadership Graduate School of Management, University Of California, Davis.

Date	Friday, December 2, 2011
Time	Morning Workshop (see below) 10 to 11:30 a.m. Presentation 2 p.m.
Location	Concordia University MB Building, Room MB 6.240 (6th floor) 1450 Guy Street (de Maisonneuve Blvd. West), Montreal, Quebec. View map

Through a series of three studies, we explored when and why external audiences (i.e., fans) identified with and supported the relatively low-prestige organization called NASCAR (the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing). In a first study, involving archival data and interviews with NASCAR experts and fans, we determined that fan identification with NASCAR was due, primarily, to value congruence with NASCAR, rather than the perceived external prestige of NASCAR. We also found that identification with NASCAR led fans to support the organization, as well as perceive that they could engage in selfexpression (i.e., “be themselves”). A second study, involving three, large scale surveys of a group of avid NASCAR fans over time, confirmed that NASCAR was perceived as relatively low in prestige, and that value congruence was a stronger predictor than perceived external prestige of fan’s identification, supportive behaviors, and self-expression. Further, this data showed that fan identification significantly mediated the effects of value congruence on supportive behaviors and self-expression. In a final study of NASCAR fans solicited at 5 live NASCAR races, interview and survey data revealed that value of “patriotism” was: (1) the primary NASCAR value with which fans identified, (2) perceived as important but difficult to affirm through affiliation with other groups or organizations, and (3) affirmed through both explicit procedures by NASCAR and behavioral displays by fans. Together, these findings suggest that value congruence may predict organizational identification and support to a greater degree than perceived external prestige when organizations are relatively low in prestige, and when identification allows (and involves) individual affirmation of important values that are difficult to affirm elsewhere. We discuss these findings in terms of implications for theories of organizational identification.

Kimberly D. Elsbach

Kimberly D. Elsbach is Professor of Management and Stephen G. Newberry Chair in Leadership at the Graduate School of Management, University of California, Davis. She received her Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University. Prior to her academic career, she worked as an Industrial Engineer for the Quaker Oats Co. in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Kim’s research focuses on the perception and management of individual and organizational images, identities, and reputations. She has studied these symbolic processes in variety of contexts ranging from the California cattle industry and the National Rifle Association, to Hollywood screenwriters. She is currently studying how creative identities of toy designers affect their ability to be good colleagues and how crying at work affects images of professional women. Her book Organizational Perception Management was recently published by Lawrence Erlbaum as part of its Organization and Management Series.

Morning Participatory Workshop Open to All

Full-Cycle Research-Combining Case Studies with Other Methods in Theory Building

On the morning of December 2, 2011 Dr. Elsbach will conduct a workshop entitled Full-Cycle Research-Combining Case Studies with Other Methods in Theory Building. The workshop is open to all faculty and graduate students. This session will be held in room MB 6.240 (6th floor), 1450 Guy Street (at de Maisonneuve Blvd.) from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Coffee will be served. Please RSVP to John Vongas at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to assist in planning for this morning session. In this workshop she will illustrate how combining case study research with other methods (e.g., surveys, experiments, large scale data analysis) can help scholars to build better theories. She will argue that such combinations of methods lead to what Cialdini has called “Full Cycle Research” – the ability to build, test, and revise theory through a series of studies that involve various methods. In this way, she hopes to help workshop participants to understand how they can use case study research as part of a larger portfolio of methods that will ultimately lead to high quality and high impact theory building.

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For More Information

Please direct any questions concerning these events to:

Professor Gary Johns
Concordia University Research Chair in Management
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