CBS researcher publishes in iconic journal

Photo: Bjarke MacCarthy
Professor Majken Schultz studied Carlsberg’s use of its own history.


Getting published in Administrative Science Quarterly is quite a feat, with Danish researchers only managing to slip through the eye of the needle on two previous occasions. This selective American journal accepts only the best research in organisation and management.
 
This honour has never been bestowed on a CBS researcher despite the fact that CBS produces over one-thousand publications annually for submission. In February, however, Administrative Science Quarterly published Professor Majken Schultz's research on Carlsberg’s use of its own history as the foundation for a new wave of specialty beers in Denmark and, subsequently, a new identity.
 
According to Schultz, CBS Department of Organization, her research examined the processes a company undergoes when it stumbles upon and is inspired by its own history. To be exact, Carlsberg’s revitalisation of its founder Carl Jacobsen’s favourite motto: semper ardens (keep the fire burning), which the global brewery launched anew as the name of a specialty beer in the 1990s. The motto was rediscovered a decade later in 2009 when the brewery updated its identity after making major acquisitions.
 
“Carlsberg has demonstrated the power of history to drive innovation and commitment. This case is especially interesting due to its focus on the authentic use of history as opposed to sheer manipulation in branding and identity creation,” explains Schultz.
 
Carlsberg contributed to the study in close collaboration with the research team, which also comprises Visiting Professor Mary Jo Hatch, Gothenburg School of Business.


The article appears in Administrative Science Quarterly and has the title Toward a Theory of Using History Authentically: Historicizing in the Carlsberg Group

An introduction to the research

For questions, please contact Majken Schultz