Distilling Authenticity: Materiality and Narratives in Canadian Distilleries' Authenticity Work

Maxim Voronov; William M. Foster; Gerardo Patriotta; Klaus Weber

doi:10.5465/amj.2020.0017

Distilling Authenticity: Materiality and Narratives in Canadian Distilleries' Authenticity Work

Maxim Voronov
, William M. Foster
, Gerardo Patriotta
, Klaus Weber

Management

York University
Brock University
University of Alberta
Northwestern University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

31 Citations (SciVal)

1471 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Authenticity is increasingly seen as a source of competitive advantage in many industries. Accordingly, authenticity work, the organizational efforts to develop and sustain believable authenticity claims, has emerged as an important organizational practice. We examined the interplay of materiality and narratives underpinning producers’
authenticity work in the context of incumbent and micro-distilleries
operating in the Canadian whisky industry. We found that producers’
material endowments, especially central product features, anchored what authenticity claims they could credibly narrate. Other material
endowments, such as key people and architectural design, were used to reinforce the integrity of authenticity claims. Our study extends our understanding of authenticity as a valued organizational resource. First,
we identify two mechanisms, anchoring and reinforcement, through which materiality both constrains and facilitates organizations’ authenticity narratives. Second, our research brings to the fore how audience members’ experiential closeness to producers colors their
perceptions of authenticity, and we show how material artifacts can
enhance such closeness. Third, our findings enrich the understanding of competitive value of authenticity in the context of strategy by unpacking how producers’ material endowments may constitute a resource or a liability.

Original language	English
Journal	Academy of Management Journal
Volume	66
Issue number	5
Early online date	17 Oct 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2020.0017
Publication status	Published - 31 Oct 2023

Funding

We are grateful to associate editor Tammar Zilber and the anonymous reviewers for the insightful and developmental guidance throughout the review process. We thank Tom Lawrence, Trish Ruebottom, and Hovig Tchalian for the invaluable feedback on earlier drafts. The manuscript also benefited from feedback received during presentations at Brock University, Oxford University, Schulich School of Business, and Warwick Business School, as well as at the 2018 AoM Conference, 2017 EGOS Colloquium, and 2018 Alberta Institutions Conference. We are especially grateful to all the research participants who shared their time and wisdom with us so generously. This research was funded, in part, by a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

Access to Document

10.5465/amj.2020.0017

amj.2020.0017.PDFAccepted author manuscript, 380 KB

Cite this

@article{74771b66a8084400a64a937291826ffc,

title = "Distilling Authenticity: Materiality and Narratives in Canadian Distilleries' Authenticity Work",

abstract = "Authenticity is increasingly seen as a source of competitive advantage in many industries. Accordingly, authenticity work, the organizational efforts to develop and sustain believable authenticity claims, has emerged as an important organizational practice. We examined the interplay of materiality and narratives underpinning producers{\textquoteright} authenticity work in the context of incumbent and micro-distilleries operating in the Canadian whisky industry. We found that producers{\textquoteright} material endowments, especially central product features, anchored what authenticity claims they could credibly narrate. Other material endowments, such as key people and architectural design, were used to reinforce the integrity of authenticity claims. Our study extends our understanding of authenticity as a valued organizational resource. First, we identify two mechanisms, anchoring and reinforcement, through which materiality both constrains and facilitates organizations{\textquoteright} authenticity narratives. Second, our research brings to the fore how audience members{\textquoteright} experiential closeness to producers colors their perceptions of authenticity, and we show how material artifacts can enhance such closeness. Third, our findings enrich the understanding of competitive value of authenticity in the context of strategy by unpacking how producers{\textquoteright} material endowments may constitute a resource or a liability.",

author = "Maxim Voronov and Foster, \{William M.\} and Gerardo Patriotta and Klaus Weber",

year = "2023",

month = oct,

day = "31",

doi = "10.5465/amj.2020.0017",

language = "English",

volume = "66",

journal = "Academy of Management Journal",

issn = "0001-4273",

publisher = "Academy of Management",

number = "5",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Distilling Authenticity: Materiality and Narratives in Canadian Distilleries' Authenticity Work

AU - Voronov, Maxim

AU - Foster, William M.

AU - Patriotta, Gerardo

AU - Weber, Klaus

PY - 2023/10/31

Y1 - 2023/10/31

N2 - Authenticity is increasingly seen as a source of competitive advantage in many industries. Accordingly, authenticity work, the organizational efforts to develop and sustain believable authenticity claims, has emerged as an important organizational practice. We examined the interplay of materiality and narratives underpinning producers’ authenticity work in the context of incumbent and micro-distilleries operating in the Canadian whisky industry. We found that producers’ material endowments, especially central product features, anchored what authenticity claims they could credibly narrate. Other material endowments, such as key people and architectural design, were used to reinforce the integrity of authenticity claims. Our study extends our understanding of authenticity as a valued organizational resource. First, we identify two mechanisms, anchoring and reinforcement, through which materiality both constrains and facilitates organizations’ authenticity narratives. Second, our research brings to the fore how audience members’ experiential closeness to producers colors their perceptions of authenticity, and we show how material artifacts can enhance such closeness. Third, our findings enrich the understanding of competitive value of authenticity in the context of strategy by unpacking how producers’ material endowments may constitute a resource or a liability.

AB - Authenticity is increasingly seen as a source of competitive advantage in many industries. Accordingly, authenticity work, the organizational efforts to develop and sustain believable authenticity claims, has emerged as an important organizational practice. We examined the interplay of materiality and narratives underpinning producers’ authenticity work in the context of incumbent and micro-distilleries operating in the Canadian whisky industry. We found that producers’ material endowments, especially central product features, anchored what authenticity claims they could credibly narrate. Other material endowments, such as key people and architectural design, were used to reinforce the integrity of authenticity claims. Our study extends our understanding of authenticity as a valued organizational resource. First, we identify two mechanisms, anchoring and reinforcement, through which materiality both constrains and facilitates organizations’ authenticity narratives. Second, our research brings to the fore how audience members’ experiential closeness to producers colors their perceptions of authenticity, and we show how material artifacts can enhance such closeness. Third, our findings enrich the understanding of competitive value of authenticity in the context of strategy by unpacking how producers’ material endowments may constitute a resource or a liability.

U2 - 10.5465/amj.2020.0017

DO - 10.5465/amj.2020.0017

M3 - Article

SN - 0001-4273

VL - 66

JO - Academy of Management Journal

JF - Academy of Management Journal

IS - 5

ER -

Distilling Authenticity: Materiality and Narratives in Canadian Distilleries' Authenticity Work

Abstract

Funding

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this