Image: Comcast Technology Center: Philadelphia’s tallest building.
This week, I sat with the article that helped me examine the tension between how we’re seen and how we see ourselves, especially in corporate spaces. A lot of my research thus far has been about Black Women and our representation, but it’s important to study the corporate institutions, too. The article “Under the Reputation Umbrella: An integrative and multidisciplinary review for corporate image, projected image, construed image, organizational identity, and organizational culture” by Luca Cian and Sara Cervai breaks down seven overlapping concepts including corporate image, organizational identity and reputation. It’s dense, but necessary. The authors argue that reputation isn’t just a buzzword, but it’s a layered construct shaped by both internal culture and external perception. What struck me most was their call for clarity: too often, these terms get blurred, and that confusion has real consequences for how organizations present themselves and how individuals navigate them.
For my project, this article gave me language to describe the disconnect Black women often feel when their authentic selves don’t align with the corporate image they’re expected to uphold. It doesn’t center race or gender, but it offers a framework I can build on, especially when exploring how code-switching becomes a survival tool in spaces that prioritize reputation over authenticity.
Here’s the poem I wrote during our in-class activity last week:
I’m a little nervous,
But I’m more excited.
I’m proud of myself,
I’ve made so much progress.
Nervous about how Black women,
And how they’ll be perceived.
I’m sure it’ll be fine.
This poem sums up my current feelings about my project… excited, but still worried about our reputation.
I’ve made so much progress with my project! I met with my committee chair Dr. Osei Alleyne, and he helped me begin putting some action behind my ideas. I reached out to my first interviewee, and she agreed to be a part! Dr. Alleyne also gave me so many new key terms and frameworks to explore. As the weeks go by, the more excited I get.
Sources:
Cian, L., & Cervai, S. (2014). Under the reputation umbrella: An integrative and multidisciplinary review for corporate image, projected image, construed image, organizational identity, and organizational culture. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 19(2), 182–199.
Convene. (n.d.). Comcast Technology Center: Philadelphia’s tallest building. Catalyst by Convene. https://convene.com/catalyst/office/comcast-technology-center-philadelphia-tallest-building/
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