Responding to organizational identity change: ethnographic insights from multinational hotel subsidiaries

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Sun-Ah Ponting
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Identity ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Internal Communication ◽  
Hospitality Management ◽  
Organizational Memory ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Emotional Challenges ◽  
Organizational Ethnography ◽  
History Of

Purpose This paper aims to use an organizational ethnography perspective to explore how subsidiary hotel properties of a multinational hotel corporation experience planned organizational identity (OI) change instituted by headquarters. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a multi-site approach to collect ethnographic data on organizational change from six hotel subsidiaries in California, USA. Over three years, multiple sources of data were collected including: 31 interviews with hotel subsidiary leaders; more than 100 participant observation hours including job shadows, conferences and meetings; and photographs and internal communication materials. Findings Multinational hospitality companies face struggles between corporate standardization and subsidiary localization. This paper reveals that when headquarters plan changes focused on employees at their subsidiaries, the ways the latter initially accept and resist change are significantly impacted by the organizational memory and history of subsidiary leaders. However, as time progressed, properties with strong financial performance continued to operationalize new identity initiatives while properties with poorer profit margins played a balancing act between headquarters’ visionary identity and subsidiary ownership’s revenue expectations. Additionally, the situational realities caused by the COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to all properties which amplified practical and emotional challenges of organizational ethnography in hospitality research. Originality/value This paper contributes to hospitality literature by introducing an under-researched concept, OI change and advances understanding of the struggles in managing multinational company change. More importantly, this paper is a stepping stone for future hospitality management to embark on organizational ethnography.

Alternate remittance systems in Ghana: a trade enabler or an organised fraud

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Asmah ◽  
Williams Abayaawien Atuilik
Keyword(s):  
Money Laundering ◽  
Tax Evasion ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Banking System ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Case Study Analysis ◽  
Business Operations ◽  
Border Trade ◽  
Single Method

Purpose Alternate remittance systems (ARS) are inherently not illegal; however, the nature of their activities has mostly been linked with money laundering and terrorist financing, which raises several questions as to why businesses in Ghana rely on these systems to conduct their cross-border trade. The purpose of this study is seeks to understand the nature of ARS in Ghana and analyse why business owners rely on them for their transactions. Design/methodology/approach Three companies were selected for the case study analysis. This research paper used a qualitative data analysis for the study. Interviews, direct participant observation and documentary review were the main techniques for data collection. The multiple sources of evidence helped to reduce the potential bias of the single method. Findings This paper found that some businesses using the system in Ghana can acquire unsecured loans at little or no interest cost, which provides a good source of funding to support business growth. Unlike other studies, this study proves that in some instances, ARS operators transact business with the clients they do not, particularly trust. Within the context of this study, this paper found evidence that supports money laundering, but the underlining crime is mostly tax evasion. The adoption of the system is an attempt to disguise the proceeds of the tax evasion crime and clean them through business operations. Research limitations/implications This analysis was based on the strain theory from the perspective of the clients. Future studies can focus attention on the ARS operators and understand their perspectives. Several other fraud theories could be used as a lens to understand the phenomena in Ghana and other jurisdictions. Practical implications The study throws more light on a “secret” or an underground banking system that operates in Ghana. It provides insights that can guide regulatory authorities in their policy implementation. The need for stricter enforcement of the law has also been highlighted. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is original, as it focuses on a sector that is highly secretive but has significant implications on the Ghanaian economy.

Testing relevance and applicability: reflections on organizational anthropology

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mette Marie Vad Karsten
Keyword(s):  
Product Development ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Settings ◽  
Organizational Ethnography ◽  
Development Processes ◽  
Anthropological Fieldwork ◽  
Organizational Anthropology ◽  
Key Aspects

Purpose Starting from the challenges and implications of doing organizational ethnography within the organization which the researcher is also employed by, the purpose of this paper is to reflect upon the idea of “passing the test” in relation to such ethnographic endeavor. The paper discusses how “collaboration” on projects and in product development processes with colleagues/informants is a precondition for passing “tests,” which unfolded as subtle, verbalized demands made by colleagues/informants during fieldwork. Design/methodology/approach Longitudinal anthropological fieldwork was carried out as part of an industrial PhD project, which investigates digitization as organizational, professional and social practices in the Danish construction industry. The fieldwork lasted on/off from April 2017 to December 2018. Various forms of participant observation and collaborative ethnographic methods were used during fieldwork. Findings The paper investigates how these “tests” focused on two key aspects: the relevance of anthropology in a profit-oriented, technical corporate organization; and the application of anthropological theories and ethnographic methodologies for the benefit of product development, usability studies and organizational change. It is argued that the tests were passed through collaborative engagements, where the author oscillated between positions as collegial insider and outside researcher for the dual benefit of both commercial interests and research interests. Originality/value The paper suggests that daring to collaborate and co-create products (as something different than texts) during organizational fieldwork for the benefit of both corporate and ethnographic interests offers strong possibilities for keeping ethnography relevant and applicable, passing tests in organizational settings and advancing ethnography’s impact in the world.

Evolution of the social structure of hospitality management literature: 1960-2016

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 489-510 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehmet Ali Koseoglu
Keyword(s):  
Network Analysis ◽  
Social Structure ◽  
Small World ◽  
Hospitality Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
Management Literature ◽  
History Of ◽  
Hospitality Managers ◽  
Informal Structure

Purpose This study aims to address how the social structure of the hospitality management field has evolved from 1960 to 2016. Design/methodology/approach The informal social structure of the hospitality management literature was analyzed by collecting authorship data from seven hospitality management journals. Co-authorship analyses via network analysis were conducted. Findings According to the findings, throughout the history of hospitality management, international collaboration levels are relatively low. Based on social network analysis, the research community is only loosely connected, and the network of the community does not fit with the small-world network theory. Additional findings indicate that researchers in the hospitality management literature are ranked via degree centrality, closeness centrality and betweenness centrality. Cliques, which contain at least five researchers, and core researchers are identified. Practical implications This study helps both scholars and practitioners improve the informal structure of the field. Scholars must generate strong ties to strengthen cross-fertilization in the field; hence, they collaborate with authors who have strong positions in the field. Specifically, this provides a useful performance analysis. To the extent that institutions and individuals are rewarded for publications, this study demonstrates the performance and connectivity of several key researchers in the field. This finding could be interesting to (post)graduate students. Hospitality managers looking for advisors and consultants could benefit from the findings. Additionally, these are beneficial for journal editors, junior researchers and agencies/institutions. Originality/value As one of the first study in the field, this research examines the informal social structure of hospitality management literature in seven journals.

scholarly journals Running a hospital patient safety campaign: a qualitative study

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 562-575 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piotr Ozieranski ◽  
Victoria Robins ◽  
Joel Minion ◽  
Janet Willars ◽  
John Wright ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Patient Safety ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Comparative Method ◽  
Observation Data ◽  
Senior Managers ◽  
Frontline Staff ◽  
Content Type ◽  
History Of

Purpose – Research on patient safety campaigns has mostly concentrated on large-scale multi-organisation efforts, yet locally led improvement is increasingly promoted. The purpose of this paper is to characterise the design and implementation of an internal patient safety campaign at a large acute National Health Service hospital trust with a view to understanding how to optimise such campaigns. Design/methodology/approach – The authors conducted a qualitative study of a campaign that sought to achieve 12 patient safety goals. The authors interviewed 19 managers and 45 frontline staff, supplemented by 56 hours of non-participant observation. Data analysis was based on the constant comparative method. Findings – The campaign was motivated by senior managers’ commitment to patient safety improvement, a series of serious untoward incidents, and a history of campaign-style initiatives at the trust. While the campaign succeeded in generating enthusiasm and focus among managers and some frontline staff, it encountered three challenges. First, though many staff at the sharp end were aware of the campaign, their knowledge, and acceptance of its content, rationale, and relevance for distinct clinical areas were variable. Second, the mechanisms of change, albeit effective in creating focus, may have been too limited. Third, many saw the tempo of the campaign as too rapid. Overall, the campaign enjoyed some success in raising the profile of patient safety. However, its ability to promote change was mixed, and progress was difficult to evidence because of lack of reliable measurement. Originality/value – The study shows that single-organisation campaigns may help in raising the profile of patient safety. The authors offer important lessons for the successful running of such campaigns.

scholarly journals We are what we tell: an enquiry into NGOs' organizational identity and accountability

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Pianezzi
Keyword(s):  
Identity Formation ◽  
Collective Identity ◽  
Organizational Identity ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Documentary Analysis ◽  
Over Time

PurposeThis study offers a critical inquiry into accountability vis-à-vis organizational identity formation. It investigates how accountability evolves in the transformation of an NGO operating in the field of migration management from an informal grassroots group into a fully-fledged organization.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is the outcome of a participatory action research project on Welcome Refugees (WR), a UK-based NGO. The project involved documentary analysis, focus group and semi-structured interviews, field notes, and participant observation. The analysis draws from poststructuralist theorization to explain the interplay between organizational identity and different forms of NGO accountability over time.FindingsThe study shows how different forms of accountability became salient over time and were experienced differently by organizational members, thus leading to competing collective identity narratives. Organizational members felt accountable to beneficiaries in different ways, and this was reflected in their identification with the organization. Some advocated a rights-based approach that partially resonated with the accountability demands of external donors, while others aimed at enacting their feelings of accountability by preserving their closeness with beneficiaries and using a need-based approach. These differences led to an identity struggle that was ultimately solved through the silencing of marginalized narratives and the adoption of an adaptive regime of accountability.Practical implicationsThe findings of the case are of practical relevance to quasi-organizations that struggle to form and maintain organizational identity in their first years of operation. Their survival depends not only on their ability to accommodate and/or resist a multiplicity of accountability demands but also on their ability to develop a shared and common understanding of identity accountability.Originality/valueThe paper problematizes rather than takes for granted the process through which organizations acquire a viable identity and the role of accountability within them.

Learning from rivals: the memory-inconsistent strategy

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chuandi Jiang ◽  
Jeffrey Muldoon ◽  
Hadi Alhorr
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Learning ◽  
New Ventures ◽  
Organizational Memory ◽  
Strategic Decision ◽  
New Venture ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strategic Resources ◽  
Organizational Inertia ◽  
And Performance

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the role of competitive memory that assists the new ventures to overcome challenges due to the liability of newness in the strategic adaptation stage.Design/methodology/approachThis is a conceptual paper. Through a critical literature review on new venture survival and organizational memory, the authors identified the possibility for new ventures to learn from other firms from organizational learning and resource-based perspectives.FindingsThe authors found that new ventures can acquire and analyze the existing rivals' strategic moves documented in multiple sources, such as published yearbook, financial report, media, etc., and develop their own strategies. New ventures can also benefit from the relatively high degree of organizational inertia of existing rivals.Practical implicationsNew venture survival and performance are substantially affected by the initial organizational learning and strategic decision-making. Applying the memory-inconsistent strategy (MIS), new ventures that lack competitive experiences can learn from their rivals by internalizing the rivals' competitive memory as strategic resources and utilizing such resources to develop a competitive strategy.Originality/valueNew venture research in competitive markets focuses on the challenges and difficulties due to the lack of experiences, neglecting the fact that new ventures can learn from competitive memories of existing rivals. However, the lack of competitive experiences also means a lower degree of organizational inertia and other strategic commitments. The authors introduce the MIS and suggest that new ventures can benefit from strategic flexibility and create a temporary competitive advantage by surprising existing firms.

Social media and the promise of excellence in internal communication

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Verheyden
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Public Relations ◽  
Internal Communication ◽  
Social Software ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Ethnography ◽  
Usage Patterns ◽  
Excellence Theory ◽  
Study Power ◽  
Symmetrical Communication

Purpose For many years the excellence theory (Grunig, 1992), with its ideal of two-way symmetrical communication, has been the dominant normative framework in public relations (PR). From an affordance perspective, social media seem to side perfectly with this promise of a more balanced power relation between participants in the communication loop. The purpose of this paper is to see if this promise was realized in the context of an internal communication practitioner’s social software use. Design/methodology/approach The authors used a critical case approach for the organizational ethnography. Therefore, the authors selected an IT company where the formal position of internal communication was being created. In this environment, the authors considered it “least likely” to find the unidirectional model of “push communication.” The authors used the network gatekeeping theory (Barzilai-Nahon, 2008) to study technology usage patterns in the organization. Findings The analysis indicates that the internal communicator uses social software to interact with other employees. The authors additionally found these tools to affect the gatekeeping role of internal communication, altering the position’s ideological focus through its ability to shape the technological environment. Research limitations/implications On a theoretical level, the network gatekeeping theory proved to be useful to study power relations inside organizations. On a practical level, the authors found themselves combining different data sources to grasp the complexity of organizational communication practices. Originality/value This research questions the widespread assumption that adoption of social software leads to excellence in PR. Additionally, the use of ethnographic methods in PR has been rare.

The need for requisite variety to support growth: an organizational life cycle perspective

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-256
Author(s):  
Rocco Palumbo ◽  
Rosalba Manna
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Organizational Life ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Environmental Complexity ◽  
Organizational Life Cycle ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Requisite Variety

PurposeDrawing on the “Giffoni Experience” case study, the purpose of this paper is to establish a conceptual link between requisite variety and organizational life cycle. The law of requisite variety states that – to be viable – a system should be able to achieve the minimum number of states which are required to deal with environmental uncertainty.Design/methodology/approachA descriptive case study approach was taken, which allowed a holistic analysis of the subject being investigated. Multiple sources and different techniques were used to collect relevant data, including: document analysis, unstructured interviews with key informants, and participant observation.FindingsThe development of requisite variety is intended to fill the gap between organizational adaptability and increased environmental complexity. The process of requisite variety generation is influenced by the organizational life cycle stages, turning out to be reactive in the early phases of life and proactive in the maturity ones. Ultimately, the development of requisite variety makes the organization able to establish a co-evolving relationship with the environment, which paves the way for greater organizational adaptability and effectiveness.Research limitations/implicationsThe research findings are not generalizable; besides, the exploratory nature of this study did not allow to point out a consistent relationship between requisite variety and the organizational life cycle.Originality/valueTo the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first attempts to examine requisite variety adopting the conceptual lenses of organizational life cycle. Empirical research works dealing with requisite variety are uncommon and generally overlooked by management scholars and practitioners.

Social media engagement, service complexity, and experiential quality in US hospitals

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 833-845 ◽  
Author(s):  
Youngsu Lee ◽  
Joonhwan In ◽  
Seung Jun Lee
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Customer Engagement ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Media Engagement ◽  
Experiential Quality

Purpose As social media platforms become increasingly popular among service firms, many US hospitals have been using social media as a means to improve their patients’ experiences. However, little research has explored the implications of social media use within a hospital context. The purpose of this paper is to investigate a hospital’s customer engagement through social media and its association with customers’ experiential quality. Also, this study examines the role of a hospital’s service characteristics, which could shape the nature of the interactions between patients and the hospital. Design/methodology/approach Data from 669 hospitals with complete experiential quality and demographic data were collected from multiple sources of secondary data, including the rankings of social media friendly hospitals, the Hospital Compare database, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) cost report, the CMS impact file, the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society Analytics database and the Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care. Specifically, the authors designed the instrumental variable estimate to address the endogeneity issue. Findings The empirical results suggest a positive association between a hospital’s social media engagement and experiential quality. For hospitals with a high level of service sophistication, the association between online engagement and experiential quality becomes more salient. For hospitals offering various services, offline engagement is a critical predictor of experiential quality. Research limitations/implications A hospital with more complex services should make efforts to engage customers through social media for better patient experiences. The sample is selected from databases in the US, and the databases are cross-sectional in nature. Practical implications Not all hospitals may be better off improving the patient experience by engaging customers through social media. Therefore, practitioners should exercise caution in applying the study’s results to other contexts and in making causal inferences. Originality/value The current study delineates customer engagement through social media into online and offline customer engagement. This study is based on the theory of customer engagement and reflects the development of mobile technology. Moreover, this research may be considered as pioneering in that it considers the key characteristics of a hospital’s service operations (i.e., service complexity) when discovering the link between customers’ engagement through a hospital’s social media and experiential quality.

A tribute to Gwen Leighty

2006 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 84-86
Author(s):  
Jennifer Paustenbaugh
Keyword(s):  
Web Sites ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Fund Raising ◽  
Personal Knowledge ◽  
Valuable Contribution ◽  
Content Type ◽  
History Of ◽  
Development Network ◽  
Fund Raiser

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to provide a tribute to the life and work of library fund‐raiser Gwen Leighty.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses personal knowledge and references to Academic Libraries Advancement and Development Network (ALADN) and LIBDEV web sites.FindingsThe paper finds that fundraising is connecting with people and the journey that each development officer must make while raising funds for their library.Originality/valueThe paper presents a brief history of ALADN and the valuable contribution one person made to the cause of library fund‐raising.

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