“Making up” workers in an inclusive organisation

2014 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 249-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorte Boesby Dahl
Keyword(s):  
Labour Market ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Social Constructionist ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Diversity And Inclusion ◽  
The Social ◽  
Inclusive Policy ◽  
Empirical Context ◽  
Inclusion And Diversity

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the unintended consequences of managing inclusion and diversity and how these unintended consequences relate to organisation members’ mediation between work tasks and practices of inclusion and diversity. Design/methodology/approach – The study uses critical diversity and inclusion studies as the theoretical context and a Danish municipal centre responsible for parking patrol as the empirical context. The researcher has conducted interviews and participant observation in this organisation and particularly analyses the “making up” of abstract categories of employees and the mundane “making of” employees in the light of diversity and inclusion practices. Findings – The analysis shows that parking attendants are “made up” as an increasingly professionalised brand and that the inclusive policy of diversity becomes part of this brand. However, the study also shows that in spite of this external brand, local and internal practices of inclusion and diversity create categories of people that employees may avoid or resist and some that carry unfulfilled promises of inclusion. Moreover, an internal image of the parking attendant as a person on the edge of the labour market persists internally in spite of the effort to brand this person otherwise externally. Originality/value – The paper applies the notion of “making up” people, to accommodate critique of the social constructionist approach, that is common to much critical research on diversity and inclusion. Furthermore, the paper agitates for “bringing work back in” to the study of diversity and inclusion and does this by focusing on the work of parking attendants. Given that this work is formally unskilled, the organisation represents an example of a workplace that represents a gateway to the Danish labour market, which makes the management and organisation of inclusion very pertinent. The paper provides new perspectives, particularly in terms of the unintended consequences of inclusion in organisations.

Ritual as assemblage: feast of sacrifice experiences of Turkish consumers

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 476-494
Author(s):  
Ömer Torlak ◽  
Müjdat Özmen ◽  
Muhammet Ali Tiltay ◽  
Mahmut Sami İşlek ◽  
Ufuk Ay
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Theoretical Development ◽  
Social Phenomena ◽  
Assemblage Theory ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Religious Rituals ◽  
The Social ◽  
Human Actors ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to theorize and empirically investigate the formation of consumer’s consumption ritual experiences and discourses associated with Feast of Sacrifice. Design/methodology/approach The authors have approached the data from assemblage theory perspective. By use of ethnographic participant observation and in-depth interviews, seven themes are uncovered and discussed: meaning of Qurban, preparation of the ritual, Qurban choice, meat, Qurban ritual, marketplace and framing of discourses. Findings This study provides a theoretical development in which it depicts that assemblage theory can be used in the context of religious rituals such as the Feast of Sacrifice. This suggests that parts forming the social phenomena include different meanings and functions in different assemblages to the ritual, which has a structure with a particular process, roles and content scenario. This implies that even the most structured social phenomena as religious rituals can be accepted as social assemblage where every individual experiences his/her own ritual with the parts that have ever-changing material and expressive roles. Originality/value This study will contribute to the literature on religious rituals and practices through viewing ritual as an assemblage including material and expressive features as well as human and non-human actors. Besides, this study aims to find out whether there is a constant consumer and the concept of ritual by focusing on buying experiences of consumer in Feast of Sacrifice in Turkey.

Religious social action and its organizational profiles

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angel Belzunegui-Eraso ◽  
David Duenas-Cid ◽  
Inma Pastor-Gosálbez
Keyword(s):  
Social Action ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Personal Autonomy ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Functional Dependence ◽  
Welfare States ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Actions ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Church

Purpose Social action implemented by the Church via its affiliated entities, foundations and associations may be viewed as a uniform activity. In reality, however, several organizational profiles exist that depend on the origin of these organizations (lay or religious), the scope of their activities (local or general) and their dependence on resources (whether from public administration or civil society). The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, the authors examine this diversity based on a 2015 study of every Catholic Church social organization with headquarters in Catalonia. For the study, the authors conducted a detailed analysis of these organizations in order to determine their nature, scope and structure. The methodology combined questionnaire, interviews and non-participant observation. Findings The social actions of these organizations lead to interesting debates, such as those on: charity/assistentialism vs social justice; professionalization vs voluntarism; and personal autonomy vs functional dependence resulting from the action. This study also highlights how important it is that Church organizations carry out social actions to generate social welfare in the welfare states of southern European countries. Originality/value It is the first time that a study of the social impact of the church and its organizational implications in Spain has been made.

scholarly journals Trimming the social body

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 68-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jakob Krause-Jensen
Keyword(s):  
Social Workers ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Social Body ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Ethnographic Fieldwork ◽  
The Social ◽  
Management Concept

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse through ethnographic fieldwork the social and cultural context and (unintended) consequences of introducing a management concept from the private sector (LEAN) into the public sector. Design/methodology/approach Ethnographic fieldwork combined with reading of reports and material. Findings The major findings are: first, Lean is seen in a cultural context, it is argued that the persuasiveness of Lean depends on building a metaphorical connection between organizational aims and individual experiences and bodily ideals; second, Lean purports to be a win-win game and road to eliminating “waste” through worker participation, empowerment and enthusiasm. The research points to the contrary. Lean was met with scepticism and was seen by the social workers as a waste of time. Originality/value As demonstrated in the paper, the vast majority of research published about Lean is hortatory in nature. It is recipe books trying to convince readers of the benefits of introducing Lean. This paper, on the contrary, attempts an open ethnographic exploration of the Lean process and its social and cultural ramifications.

scholarly journals Exploring collaboration within social housing retrofit practice for an ageing population: a single case study in the West of Scotland

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dayna Rodger ◽  
Nicola Callaghan ◽  
Craig Thomson
Keyword(s):  
Social Housing ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Ageing Population ◽  
Single Case Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Data Infrastructure ◽  
The Social

Purpose Sustainably addressing the social and economic demands from an ageing population is a major global challenge, with significant implications for policy and practice. This is resultant of the increasing demand for housing adaptations to prevent increased pressure upon acute health services. Through the lens of institutional theory, this paper aims to explore the levels of joined-up retrofit practice within a Scottish social housing provider, under a constructivist approach. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory single case study of a Scottish local authority was undertaken. Within this, nine key stakeholders were interviewed, taking a hierarchical approach, from director to repair and maintenance staff. Results were analysed by using Braun and Clarke’s six stages of thematic analysis. Findings There is a need for greater levels of integration within retrofit practice to not only improve the health and well-being of the older population but also increase efficiency and economic savings within public services. Currently, there are key issues surrounding silo-based decision-making, poor data infrastructure, power struggles and a dereliction of built environment knowledge and expertise, preventing both internal and external collaboration. However, housing, energy and health have interlinking agendas which are integral to achieving ageing in place. Therefore, there must be system-wide recognition of the potential benefits of improved cross-sector collaboration, preventing unintended consequences whilst providing socioeconomic outcomes. Originality/value This research provides a new perspective surrounding retrofit practice within the context of an ageing population. It highlights the requirement for improved cross sector collaboration and the social and economic cost of poor quality practice.

Qualitative Data Gathering Instruments and Methods

2021 ◽  
pp. 77-98
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Focus Group Discussion ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Data Gathering ◽  
Social Constructionist ◽  
Interview Method ◽  
Observation Methods ◽  
The Social

The chapter is divided into five sections. The first section discusses the interview method from the social constructionist and qualitative perspectives. The second section contains information related to the procedures of undertaking focus group discussion in qualitative projects. The different types of observation methods are highlighted in Section 3, but only participant and non-participant observation variants are discussed. The primary and secondary documents are addressed in Section 4, and examples are given. The chapter is concluded by a question and answer section, where important questions are raised and answered in a simple way.

scholarly journals Levelling the playing field? Active labour market policies, educational attainment and unemployment

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 276-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luc Benda ◽  
Ferry Koster ◽  
Romke J. van der Veen
Keyword(s):  
Labour Market ◽  
Economic Downturn ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Labour Market Policies ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Active Labour ◽  
The Social ◽  
Unemployment Risk ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Job Competition

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how active labour market policy (ALMP) training programmes and hiring subsidies increase or decrease differences in the unemployment risk between lesser and higher educated people during an economic downturn. A focus is put on potential job competition dynamics and cumulative (dis)advantages of the lesser and higher educated. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses multi-level data. The fifth wave (2010) of the European Social Survey was used and combined with macro-level data on labour market policies of the OECD. The sample consisted of 18,172 observations in 19 countries. Findings The results show that higher levels of participation and spending on training policies are related to a smaller difference in the unemployment risks of the educational groups. Higher training policy intensity is associated with a lower unemployment risk for the lesser educated and a higher unemployment risk for the higher educated. This implies that the lesser educated are better able to withstand downward pressure from the higher educated, thereby, reducing downward displacement during an economic downturn. Hiring subsidies do not seem to be associated with the impact of education on unemployment. Originality/value The paper adds to the discussion on ALMP training and hiring subsidies that are primarily rooted in the human capital theory and signalling theory. Both theories ignore the social context of labour market behaviour. The job competition theory and cumulative (dis)advantage theory add to these theories by focussing on the relative position of individuals and the characteristics that accompany the social position of the individual.

Social capital, labour market status and wages: some evidence from Spain

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 539-560
Author(s):  
Antonio Caparrós Ruiz
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Social Participation ◽  
Job Search ◽  
Sample Selection ◽  
Multinomial Logit Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
Market Status ◽  
Labour Market Status

PurposeThis article analyses the social capital's influence on the Spanish labour market. In particular, this study examines to what extent the social capital increases the likelihood of being employed, taking into account different labour market status, and diverse dimensions of the social capital. Focusing on wage earners, it is also analysed whether network structures in Spain influence on the wage earnings.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology applied to analyse the labour market status is a multinomial logit model. For the analysis of wages, it is specified a wage model with sample selection bias. In both cases, social capital indicators are included as regressors.FindingsThe results show that social participation exerts a positive influence on the probability of being self-employed, and lowers the likelihood of being unemployed. Moreover, it is verified that the interaction with family members or close friends influence positively on wages.Research limitations/implicationsFurther research should emphasise how employers assess the workers' competences associated with the social capital.Practical implicationsThe findings provide knowledge to policymakers useful to increase the role of social participation in the labour market.Social implicationsThe importance of social network as an instrument for the job search must be enhanced.Originality/valueThis article overcomes some drawbacks associated with the analysis of social capital from an aggregate perspective. Furthermore, social capital indicators are obtained using the Categorical Principal Components Analysis (CATPCA), which is unprecedented in the economic literature.

scholarly journals Consumer-led experience customization: a socio-spatial approach

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 206-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edwin N. Torres ◽  
Peter Lugosi ◽  
Marissa Orlowski ◽  
Giulio Ronzoni
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Organizational Resources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Virtual Spaces ◽  
Spatial Approach ◽  
Group A ◽  
Empirical Context ◽  
New Consumer

Purpose Adopting a socio-spatial approach, this study develops a consumer-centric conception of service experience customization. In contrast to existing service customization research, which has focused on company-centric approaches, the purpose of this paper is to examine the practices through which consumers use, abuse, subvert, transform, or complement organizational resources to construct their consumption experiences. Design/methodology/approach The empirical context for this study is a Meetup group: a consumer network organized around members’ shared interests and activities in theme parks. The research utilized participant observation of members’ face-to-face activities during two years and over 80 events, interviews with key informants, and content analysis of online interactions. Findings The findings outline how consumers interact across physical and virtual spaces utilizing technologies and material objects. The data are used to propose a new consumer-centric conceptualization of experience customization, distinguishing between three modes: collaborative co-production, cooperative co-creation, and subversive co-creation. Originality/value It is argued that the three modes of customization provide a way to understand how consumers mobilize and (re)deploy organizational resources to create experiences that may complement existing service propositions, but may also transform them in ways that challenge the service provider’s original goals and expectations. Furthermore, this study identifies the factors that shape which modes of customization are possible and how they are enacted. Specifically, the discussion examines how experiential complexity, governability, the compatibility of consumer and organizational practices, and the collective mobilization of resources may determine the scope and form of customization.

scholarly journals Cannabis festivals and their attendees in four European cities with different national cannabis policies

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 138-154
Author(s):  
Kostas Skliamis ◽  
Dirk J. Korf
Keyword(s):  
High Frequency ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Cannabis Use ◽  
Social Constructions ◽  
Music Festivals ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Capital Cities ◽  
Music Festival ◽  
The Social

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to: describe and contextualize the aims and distinctive and common characteristics of cannabis festivals in countries with different cannabis policies; assess characteristics of participants; identify reasons to attend cannabis festivals; explore to which extent cannabis festivals contribute to the social and cultural acceptance of cannabis, as perceived by attendees. Design/methodology/approach The approach incorporates three methods of data collection in the research design; quantitative research among 1,355 participants, participant observation and interviews with the organizers. Findings Cannabis festivals in Amsterdam, Berlin, Rome and Athens have common features but also maintain and reproduce local, social and cultural characteristics. Cannabis festivals, as well as their attendees, represent heterogeneous categories. The style of the festival – music festival or march combined with music – affects the main reason for attendance by the participants. In cannabis festivals more similar to music festivals the majority of the respondents attended for entertainment while at the cannabis festivals in the form of a march combined with music the majority attended for protest. Furthermore, increasing age, residency and the high frequency of cannabis use are factors that led the participants to attend for protest. Originality/value The research on cannabis festivals is limited. This paper not only explores the aims of cannabis festivals in four capital cities of Europe and the characteristics of their attendees including motivations, but also offers interesting insights for understanding the ways in which political and social constructions like cannabis festivals shape attitudes, perception and behaviors around cannabis use.

scholarly journals Resource-based competition: three schools of thought and thirteen criticisms

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 122-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tarek El Shafeey ◽  
Paul Trott
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Dynamic Capabilities ◽  
Core Competencies ◽  
Social Constructionist ◽  
Management Research ◽  
Resource Based View ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Terminological Confusion

Purpose – The field of research on resource-based competition is full of nuanced terminology and misunderstandings. This has led to confusion, and thus the authors offer a critical review, which provides a structure and clarity to this subject. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – This analysis structures the literature on resources, capabilities, and competences into three distinct schools of thought: the resource-based view (RBV) of the firm, the rational-equilibrium school; the dynamic capability-based view of the firm, the behavioural-evolutionary school; and the competence-based view of the firm, the social constructionist school. Findings – The authors uncover 13 criticisms of the most widely adopted theoretical framework of the RBV of the firm – Valuable-Rare-Imperfectly imitable-Organisation (VRIO). Research limitations/implications – The misinterpretation and neglect of the classic scholarly work may help to explain why the VRIO framework has been elevated from a view to a theory and why it has received so much attention. Practical implications – The authors show how the relative ease of measuring resources as compared to (dynamic) capabilities and (core) competencies has helped raise the profile of RBV. Originality/value – This analysis contributes to management research by illustrating the deviation among the three schools of thought; the authors show how this has contributed to wide terminological confusion and offer a structure to help researchers situate their work within the relevant school of thought.

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