TY - JOUR AB - Purpose This study aims to understand the construction process of an organizational identity in a hybrid organization.Design/methodology/approach The author developed a single case study based on in-depth interviews, non-participant observations and document analysis in a credit cooperative.Findings After periods of changes in organizational identity (from idealism to pragmatism), the formation of a paradoxical organizational identity was observed in which the core value became a central polarity between idealism and pragmatism; after periods when members engaged in actions that promoted resistance or change, they framed past events in a story of stable dynamics between idealism and pragmatism; and pro-distinctiveness and -similarity forces in relation to other organizations were reconciled in a quest for optimal distinctiveness that simultaneously enabled the development of uniqueness and adequacy.Originality/value This is the first study to adopt a paradox perspective to analyze the identity of a cooperative. VL - 28 IS - 6 SN - 1934-8835 DO - 10.1108/IJOA-08-2019-1849 UR - https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOA-08-2019-1849 AU - Felix Bruno PY - 2020 Y1 - 2020/01/01 TI - Analyzing the formation of a paradoxical organizational identity T2 - International Journal of Organizational Analysis PB - Emerald Publishing Limited SP - 1227 EP - 1241 Y2 - 2024/03/29 ER -