THE DISCOURSE OF RESURRECTION AND REBRANDING STRATEGIES: TOLSTOY'S MORAL TRANSFORMATION AND THE RECONSTRUCTION OF INSTITUTIONAL IDENTITY

Abstract

This study examines Leo Tolstoy’s Resurrection (1899) alongside modern corporate rebranding campaigns following ethical scandals, focusing on Volkswagen and Wells Fargo. The aim is to explore the similarities and differences between individual narratives of moral transformation and corporate strategies of identity renewal. Qualitative discourse analysis and word frequency analysis were employed to code key themes such as confession, atonement, and identity change in literary and corporate texts. Rhetorical devices were also analyzed, including pronoun usage, modality, and narrative perspective. The findings reveal that both contexts construct redemption narratives: Tolstoy’s novel emphasizes personal and spiritual transformation, whereas corporate discourse highlights trust, responsibility, and accountability. However, corporate narratives often lose credibility when not substantiated by concrete actions. By bridging literary analysis with business communication, the study highlights the value of narrative approaches in crisis communication and demonstrates the methodological potential of comparing literary texts with corporate documents. In doing so, it offers original contributions to academic scholarship and managerial practice.

Keywords

• Corporate Identity
• Rebranding
• Discourse Analysis
• Moral Transformation
• Resurrection

DİRİLİŞ SÖYLEMİ VE YENİDEN MARKALAMA STRATEJİLERİ: TOLSTOY’UN AHLAKİ DÖNÜŞÜMÜ VE KURUMSAL KİMLİĞİN YENİDEN İNŞASI

Abstract

Bu çalışma, Lev Tolstoy’un Diriliş (1899) romanı ile Volkswagen ve Wells Fargo gibi modern şirketlerin etik skandallar sonrası yürüttükleri yeniden markalama kampanyalarını karşılaştırmalı söylem analiziyle incelemektedir. Araştırmanın amacı, bireysel ahlaki dönüşüm anlatıları ile kurumsal kimlik yenileme stratejilerinin nasıl benzerlikler ve farklılıklar gösterdiğini ortaya koymaktır. Çalışmada nitel söylem analizi ve sözcük sıklığı analizi birlikte kullanılarak hem edebi hem de kurumsal metinlerde itiraf, kefaret ve kimlik dönüşümü temaları kodlanmıştır. Ayrıca zamir kullanımı, kiplik ve anlatı bakış açısı gibi retorik araçlar analiz edilmiştir. Bulgular, iki alanda da kefaret anlatısının yapılandırıldığını göstermektedir: Tolstoy’un romanında bu süreç kişisel ve manevi bir dönüşümle açıklanırken, kurumsal söylemler güven, sorumluluk ve hesap verebilirlik odaklıdır. Bununla birlikte, kurumsal anlatıların ikna gücünün eylemlerle desteklenmediği durumlarda zayıfladığı görülmüştür. Çalışma, edebiyat ve iş dünyasını bir araya getirerek kriz iletişiminde anlatı yaklaşımının önemini vurgulamakta, yöntemsel olarak edebî metinler ile kurumsal belgelerin karşılaştırmalı analizinin değerini ortaya koymaktadır. Bu yönüyle hem akademik literatüre hem de pratik uygulamalara özgün katkılar sunmaktadır.

Keywords

• kurumsal kimlik
• yeniden markalama
• söylem analizi
• Ahlaki dönüşüm
• diriliş

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