Williams Racing and Dorilton Capital: Epideictic Blandness in Organizational Change

Abstract

In 2020 the third-oldest racing team in Formula 1, Williams Racing, sold to Dorilton Capital, a global investment group. The change was a dramatic shift in the organization’s identity, from four decades of family ownership to a faceless global fund with no ties to racing. Drastic turns such as these are challenging for organizations. Shifts in identity generate uncertainty with stakeholders, a particular problem for sports organizations where identities and values are prominent. One remedy is epideictic rhetoric, a form that utilizes common values to create identification and orient stakeholders’ interpretations of the change. However, an emphasis on values can invite unwelcome scrutiny that could exacerbate problems. The Williams/Dorilton case demonstrates how organizations can rely on blandness through epideictic rhetoric that mitigates negative aspects through an emphasis on featureless continuity.