Organizational Stigma: Sources and Outcomes

Abstract

Organizational stigma is a useful adaptation of the concept of social stigma, which can be used to understand why some organizations are saddled with the image of being socially unsavory or undesirable. In this paper, we define the concept of organizational stigma and review it in relation to established theory and similar organizational constructs. We argue how organizational stigma is developed, and discuss various outcomes from organizational stigma. We conclude with a discussion of implications for practitioners and academics.