Gazi Islam

Rituals in Organizations A Review and Expansion of Current Theory

This article integrates material from the study of rites, rituals, and ceremonies to apply these constructs to the study of organizations. A brief history of the study of the constructs is offered. Theories concerning the components, types, and functions of rites, rituals, and ceremonies are described, followed by a survey of field research in organizations that applies these theories. Conclusions about the current state of knowledge in the field are followed by implications for future study.

Objective and subjective indicators of happiness in Brazil: the mediating role of social class.

The authors tested the proposition that monetary household income affects subjective well-being (E. Deiner, E. M. Suh, R. E. Lucas, & H. L. Smith, 1999) through the mediating mechanisms of objective and subjective social classes. The present authors drew a representative sample in a door-to-door survey format from a Brazilian urban center. Using a back-translated version of E. Diener, R. A. Emmons, R. J. Larson, and S. Griffins (1985) Satisfaction With Life Scale, the present authors demonstrated a significant relation with income. However, this effect was mediated by objectively and subjectively measured social classes. These effects reinforce, extend, and internationally generalize the Person X Situation perspective elaborated by E. Diener et al. (1999).

Can the subaltern eat? Anthropophagic culture as a Brazilian lens on post-colonial theory

I propose the concept of anthropophagy as a metaphor for understanding Brazilian organizational knowledge, contributing to post-colonial thought, and better understanding issues of cultural mix and hybridity essential to contemporary social theory. After describing the diverse meanings of anthropophagy, I outline three important moments in Brazilian history where the concept has been central to understanding intercultural mixture. First, anthropophagy was an important component of indigenous reactions to intercultural contact, providing a ritual mechanism by which to negotiate identity. This identity crafting mechanism became revived in the 20th century modernist and tropicalist periods, where it took on symbolic functions in positioning modern Brazilian identity with respect to both European and indigenous roots. More recently, anthropophagy has entered the organizational literature, providing novel ways to make sense of key concepts in the discipline. I discuss three central issues around which anthropophagy contributes to contemporary theory, those of otherness, authenticity, and corporality.

Carnival and Spectacle in Krewe de Vieux and the Mystic Krewe of Spermes: The Mingling of Organization and Celebration

This is an ethnographic study of the Mystic Krewe of Spermes, which does float construction and a parade for Mardis Gras in New Orleans. We compare spectacular and carnivalesque elements of the organization in its preparation for and enactment of the annual parade. We show that both system-maintaining spectacular theatrics and system-challenging carnivalesque protest govern the event, which at once leads to opposition and tension, as well as acceptance and renewal within the krewe and its local audience. We discuss implications for critical organization studies, and the importance of the krewe as an indigenous organizational form.

Enchanting Work: New Spirits of Service Work in an Organic Supermarket

Drawing from a qualitative, empirical study of work experiences in a North American organic supermarket, we introduce the notion of ‘enchanting work’, a polyvalent concept referring to the aura found in certain forms of service work in contrast to the disenchantment commonly associated with it. Enchanting work, because of its unique stance vis-a-vis workplace critique and commitment, can inform the study of work by moving beyond the dichotomy of meaningful versus alienated work. Our findings show how enchanting work can be found on three different levels to (1) infuse otherwise mundane work processes with meaning, (2) obscure organizational control mechanisms and divert attention from precarious work conditions, and (3) recruit the participation of workers for creating an enchanted workplace. We discuss the implications of our results for understanding contemporary worlds of work and explore both the emancipatory and ideological ramifications of enchanting work.

Bad for practice?: Reconciling alternative views on managerial attitudes and their impact on organizational performance

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to reconcile alternative managerial views regarding self‐serving behavior in organizations: while some propose that such behavior is commonplace and detrimental to performance, and suggest policies to counteract such conduct, critics contend that such policies generate distrust and diminish performance. The authors integrate elements from agency and interactional justice theories, and hypotheses that managerial attitudes not related to self‐interest can influence behaviors often attributed to the desire to curb self‐interest, and vice‐versa.Design/methodology/approach – The authors employ structural equation modeling based on survey data from 387 team‐leaders from both Brazil and the USA.Findings – An asymmetric relation is found in the aforementioned theoretical “cross‐talk:” managers concerned with self‐interest tend to devise policies solely focused on curbing self‐interest, while managers concerned with justice not only adopt justice‐enhancing practices but also ...

Ways of interacting: The standardization of communication in medical training

This study explains the effects of medical institutionalization on the framing of doctor—patient interviews. We draw on Weberian, Habermasian, and Foucaultian perspectives to explain the ways that occupational rationalities are embodied in doctor—patient encounters, and how these rationalities structure and are structured by occupational conceptions of medical clients. We use the results of par ticipant-obser ver methods to demonstrate specific instances of the ways in which organization—client interactions are simulated in a standardized patient training programme. Finally, we discuss findings with respect to our theoretical perspectives, showing how each perspective contributes unique insights into understandings of organizations and the communities they serve.

Modes of Knowing Video Research and the Problem of Elusive Knowledges

The current article argues that video-based methodologies offer unique potential for multimodal research applications. Multimodal research, further, can respond to the problem of “elusive knowledges,” that is, tacit, aesthetic, and embodied aspects of organizational life that are difficult to articulate in traditional methodological paradigms. We argue that the multimodal qualities of video, including but not limited to its visual properties, provide a scaffold for translating embodied, tacit, and aesthetic knowledge into discursive and textual forms, enabling the representation of organizational knowledge through academic discourse. First, we outline the problem of representation by comparing different forms of elusive knowledge, framing this problem as one of cross-modal translation. Second, we describe how video’s unique affordances place it in an ideal position to address this problem. Third, we demonstrate how video-based solutions can contribute to research, providing examples both from the literature and our own applied case work as models for video-based approaches. Finally, we discuss the implications and limitations of the proposed video approaches as a methodological support.

Beyond ‘the Eye’ of the Beholder: Scent innovation through analogical reconfiguration

The current paper examines analogical processes as drivers of innovation in the creative industries. Based on a longitudinal case study of a signature perfume label, we argue that analogies embody cultural schemas in diverse material modalities, a process commonly referred to as analogical schematization. We highlight the role of materiality to ground these analogical processes, bridging embodied cognition and material products. We extend knowledge in this area by showing, among perfumers, how analogies work not only vertically from idea to concrete product but also horizontally across modalities, leveraging material affordances in a process that we label analogical reconfiguration. We discuss the implications of understanding innovation as being driven by analogical processes where materiality is key in creating novel, yet seemingly familiar, products in the creative industries.

Practitioners as Theorists Para-ethnography and the Collaborative Study of Contemporary Organizations

Para-ethnography involves collaboration with organization members who are themselves producers of cultural analysis rather than sources of raw data. It begins from the premise that contemporary workplaces involve internal theorizing that, although distinct from academic theorizing, can inform and ground organizational theory. Modern organizations, as highly professionalized, and based on conceptual design and legitimation, are a natural match for para-ethnographic methods, which have nevertheless been absent from organizational scholarship. As part of a general revisionist program in ethnographic theory, para-ethnography offers a way of reconceptualizing the role of the researcher, the nature of cultural knowledge, and the spatial boundaries of culture. After describing the similarities and differences between revisionist ethnographic approaches, I outline how para-ethnography differs from other forms of ethnography in practice. Finally, I discuss the challenges and opportunities of para-ethnography, suggesting that this methodological development may form part of a larger reconceptualization of the relation between theory and practice, and offering practical mechanics to ground such a reconceptualization.