Barbara Lasky

A researcher's tale: dealing with epistemological divergence

Purpose – The papers purpose is to explore a theoretical and methodological dilemma.Design/methodology/approach – Commencing doctoral research, and committed to an orthodox grounded theory approach, a unique story was uncovered which, to do it and the research justice, required an alternative form of representation. Intuition decreed that this should be narrative. However, grounded theory and narrative entail epistemologically and ontologically incommensurate paradigms. The paper seeks to consider whether inclusion of the unique story would compromise, or subvert, the already emergent grounded theory. An exploration of the relationship between different epistemological and ontological traditions is also to be made, based on the assumption that method “slurring,” and a more eclectic approach to using incommensurate paradigms, may be valuable.Findings – In transcribing and coding data using strictly orthodox grounded theory methods, the researcher runs the risk of “stripping” the research story of some cri...

Leadership and the development of dominant and countercultures: A narcissistic perspective

This article uses a case study analysis to analyse a leadership scenario that permits a dominant culture and a counterculture to develop and coexist simultaneously within a single organisation. Research findings are presented to show the circumstances under which the leadership of a reactive narcissistic founder‐leader can give rise to the coexistence of a dominant and a counterculture through an incremental development process. By employing the “successful‐idealising” concepts of Gagliardi, the case demonstrates how such a leader can allow antagonistic organisational values to exist in a marginalised state alongside those of the dominant culture, as long as such values fall within the latitude of tolerance of the leader. The circumstances under which this process can occur are analysed within the context of the case.

Efficiency Improvements or Competitive Disadvantage

Knowledge is, arguably, the most critical organisational resource affecting an organisations ability to develop, and sustain, a competitive advantage in the marketplace. A focus on economic efficiency is suggested to result in an increase in skills, capacities, and quality of the human resources of organisations, and a substantial improvement in the organisations productivity overall. Economic efficiency is also often defined as ‘doing more with less’, leading to various cost cutting practices. This paper argues that three such commonly practised efficiency practices - process reviews; downsizing; and internal competition - may result, however, in a reduction of the organisations ability to learn and use knowledge, and therefore in the organisations ability to compete.

Too Many HRM Aspirants? The Potential Consequences for Women

E qual employment opportunities campaigners have urged that women be given at least equal opportunity with men to take up vocational training so that they can more easily gain entry to occupations in which they have been under-represented In particular, it has been urged, women should be given more and better opportunities to train in management. But what will happen if women are attracted only to certain types of managerial work? There are indications that women are attracted to the area of human resources management, which, if true, would mean that increased management training opportunities for women could lead to increasing competition for jobs in this area. This paper argues that the effects of this are not likely to satisfy all equal opportunities campaigners.