Lynne Baxter

The contribution of business excellence models in restoring failed improvement initiatives

This paper contrasts the generally accepted view that quality is a key factor in long-term prosperity with the failure reported by some four out of every five organisations to achieve the expected outcome from Total Quality Management (TQM) initiatives; the development and role of Quality Awards and Models in stimulating the attainment of improved quality levels world-wide is assessed. Three industrial case studies demonstrate how the discerning application of a quality model -- standard or bespoke -- can facilitate the resurrection of an initially ineffective performance improvement initiative.

Shifting forms of masculinity in changing organizations: the role of testicularity

Purpose – This paper seeks to utilize the concept of testicularity put forward by Flannigan‐Saint‐Aubin to explain a shift in the hegemonic masculinities in two organizations which were unusual in being successful in realizing their aims for improvement.Design/methodology/approach – The methodological approach taken is broadly social constructionism. The two organizations featured in the paper are drawn from a more extensive study of 22 organizations studied in the UK and the Netherlands. The first phase of the research consisted of extended interview visits. The visits, lasting two or three days, consisted of a mix of formal interviews and observation of the sites and less formal discussion and observation, frequently during meal breaks.Findings – The organizations instigated change processes, which created opportunities for women employees, sometimes at the expense of men. Previous work has discussed whether organization change can represent a feminizing of the workplace, but this did not fully encapsul...

The sense of smell in researching a bakery

The paper argues that reflexive methodology in organisation-based research can be further developed by a detailed engagement with the senses, in this case ‘smell’. We discuss how smell as a noun, verb and metaphor perceived through the body helped us generate alternative and evolving interpretations of our research on a bakery. As embodied researchers, we engaged in the context of the bakery with its overarching and localised smells and at the same time reflected together on our experience. We argue that extending Alvesson and Skoldberg (2009) and Alvesson’s (2011) concept of ‘reflexive pragmatics’ to include the senses adds an important way of promoting reflection. We also suggest that considering the senses, especially smell, might overcome some of the problems of interviewing identified by Alvesson (2011), such as sustaining the social interaction and delving beneath a surface interpretation.