Language and Storytelling as Strategic Enablers of Organizational Culture and Brand Identity: An Indian Perspective

Abstract

Language and narratives are currently seen to be key symbolic resources for today’s organizations with regard to the shape of cultural life inside them as well as from outside under the brand label. Against the background of a cultural plurality, multilingualism, and a rich tradition of storytelling culture in Indian society (where work contexts are rarely exempted), organizational storytelling gains particular relevance for management. The paper discusses the strategic role of language and storytelling in facilitating organizational culture and brand identity communication in Indian firms. Built wholly on secondary sources from management, organizational communication, cultural theory and branding literatures, the paper is a showcase of interdisciplinary insights that are put together to develop a conceptual framework connecting organizational language and narrative practices with cultural coherence and brand identity. The paper provides a contribution to management and cultural studies by raising the awareness of storytelling as an embedded-in-culture managerial capacity rather than a peripheral mode for communication. Theoretical implications of this model and possible suggestions for managers working in such a culturally mixed environment are presented.