e-Publications@Marquette
Master 's Theses (2009 -)
Dissertations, Theses, and Professional Projects
"How Did Toyota Stay on Top?" Revisiting Crisis
Communication Discourse
Rachel Marie Knoespel
Marquette University
Recommended Citation
Knoespel, Rachel Marie, ""How Did Toyota Stay on Top?" Revisiting Crisis Communication Discourse" (2011). Master 's Theses (2009
-). Paper 72. http://epublications.marquette.edu/theses_open/72 “HOW DID TOYOTA STAY ON TOP?”: REVISITING
CRISIS COMMUNICATION DISCOURSE
by
Rachel M. Knoespel, B.A.
A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School,
Marquette University, in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
May 2011
ABSTRACT …show more content…
9
Identity
Whereas image addresses an organization’s impressions and experiences it gives to its audiences, the organization’s identity most centrally focuses on the characteristics an organization holds to make it unique from all other companies. An organization’s identity is described as, “the central, enduring character projected by an organization, as perceived and interpreted by others” (Kuhn, 1997, p. 199). Aust (2004) explains that identity looks to the core, distinctive, and enduring features unique to an organization.
Abratt (1989) explains identity as “an assembly of visual cues-physical and behavioral
[sic] by which an audience can recognize [sic] the company and distinguish it from others and which can be used to represent or symbolize [sic] the company” (p. 68). Albert and
Whetten (1985) argue an organization’s identity is based on three distinct elements: the central character of the company, the distinctiveness of the company, and the consistency of these elements through