Pragmatic sociology and competing orders of worth in organizations

2011 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 343-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Søren Jagd
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Organizational Research ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Institutional Pluralism ◽  
Orders Of Worth ◽  
Competing Orders ◽  
Pragmatic Sociology ◽  
Basic Ideas ◽  
Pragmatic Aspects ◽  
Special Relevance

Different notions of multiple rationalities have recently been applied to describe the phenomena of co-existence of competing rationalities in organizations. These include institutional pluralism, institutional logics, competing rationalities and pluralistic contexts. The French pragmatic sociologists Luc Boltanski and Laurent Thévenot have contributed to this line of research with a sophisticated theoretical framework of orders of worth, which has been applied in an increasing number of empirical studies. This article explores how the order of worth framework has been applied to empirical studies of organizations. First, I summarize the basic ideas of the framework, stressing the aspects of special relevance for studies of organizations. Second, I review the empirical studies focusing on the coexistence of competing orders of worth in organizations showing that the order of worth framework primarily has been related to three main themes in organizational research: non-profit and co-operative organizations, inter-organizational co-operation, and organizational change. Third, I discuss how the pragmatic, process-oriented aspect of the research program, focusing on the intertwining of values and action in various forms of ‘justification work’, has been translated into empirical studies. I argue that even if highly interesting empirical studies have begun to appear on the pragmatic aspects of the order of worth program, empirical studies of ‘justification work’ may be a potentially very promising focus for future empirical studies.

Coping with COVID-19. Dugnad: a case of the moral premise of the Norwegian welfare state

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Christin Eklund Nilsen ◽  
Ove Skarpenes
Keyword(s):  
Moral Ideal ◽  
Socially Responsible ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Working Classes ◽  
Collective Effort ◽  
Orders Of Worth ◽  
Pragmatic Sociology ◽  
Interview Studies ◽  
Welfare Model

PurposeThis paper provides an analysis of the notion of dugnad (collective effort) in the context of the first weeks of the outbreak of COVID-19 in Norway. By appealing to people's sense of collective effort (dugnadsånd) Norwegian leaders successfully managed to coordinate the actions of the population and beat the outbreak.Design/methodology/approachThe argument builds on the pragmatic sociology associated with Boltanski and Thévenot and their “orders of worth”. Building on qualitative interview studies of the Norwegian middle and working classes a moral ideal type labelled “the socially responsible citizen” is identified.FindingsThe authors argue that dugnad is embedded in a moral repertoire of the socially responsible citizen that is indicative of a specific Norwegian welfare mentality and that is imperative for the sustainability and resilience of the Norwegian welfare model. This repertoire is found across social classes and has to be understood in light of the Norwegian welfare model and the role of civil society.Social implicationsThe analysis explains the societal impact of the appeal and endorsement of the notion of dugnad in the context of the outbreak of COVID-19.Originality/valueThe paper explores the roots and impact of a social phenomenon that has not been a matter for much sociological analysis.

scholarly journals Kyrgyz Youth in the Moscow Agglomeration: Adaptation Strategies

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 135-145
Author(s):  
Galina I. Osadchaya ◽  
◽  
Irina V. Leskova ◽  
Tatyana N. Yudina ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Adaptation Strategies ◽  
Host Community ◽  
Social Adaptation ◽  
Scientific Article ◽  
Semantic Field ◽  
Basic Principles ◽  
Acculturation Process ◽  
Moscow Agglomeration ◽  
Basic Ideas

The scientific article, based on the basic ideas of sociological theories about the adaptation of a person to a changing socio-cultural environment, raises the problem of building individual and group adaptation strategies by Kyrgyz young migrants upon arrival in the Moscow agglomeration. The semantic field of the studied phenomenon of social adaptation covers such conceptual strategies as accommodation, acculturation, integration. The basic principles of sociological theories in the author’s interpretation of meanings in relation to the phenomenon of adaptation are investigated. The main niches of employment of Kyrgyz migrants in the Moscow region are established, it turns out how the Kyrgyz youth lives on the territory of the host community. Four groups of migrants were recorded according to the level of adaptation. Three types of attitudes of respondents to the acculturation process are identified and interpreted: the strategy of marginalization in Moscow society, the strategy of complementarity, the strategy of assimilation of dominant norms. The conducted research contributes to the further expansion of the explanatory potential of the features of social adaptation of young citizens of Kyrgyzstan, fills the theory of social adaptation of migrants with new methodological content, allows conceptually ensuring the implementation of further empirical studies of the problems of social adaptation of migrants from the EAEU member states in Russia.

scholarly journals Knowledge management activities in social enterprises: lessons for small and non-profit firms

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 376-396 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria L. Granados ◽  
Souad Mohamed ◽  
Vlatka Hlupic
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Social Environmental ◽  
The Uk

Purpose This paper aims to explore what social enterprises (SEs) in the UK know and how they acquire, convert, apply and protect this knowledge. This will enable them to manage their knowledge effectively and, hence, improve their practices and maximise the creation of social, environmental and economic value. Design/methodology/approach This study follows a qualitative approach, comprising 21 interviews with founders and senior members of SEs in the UK. Findings The results show that the investigated SEs have knowledge management (KM) practices similar to the already identified in SMEs, associated with informality, reliance on external sources and focus on socialisation activities, but they have unique challenges on managing their knowledge related to their hybrid mission, to include social and economic objectives and their closed relationship with stakeholders. Research limitations/implications As there is limited research on KM practices in SEs; they were defined based on previous studies in large, private and public companies. Therefore, not all practices may be included. This research is a starting point in the study of KM in SEs. Practical implications This study identifies knowledge activities that enable the creation of social, environmental and economic value in SEs. This allows SEs, small firms and non-profit organisations to review their current practices and develop plans for their further improvement. Originality/value This paper is one of the first empirical studies exploring KM practices in SEs, highlighting their informal nature as well as their impact in and on the enterprise.

scholarly journals Multiplicity, hybridity and normativity: disputes about the UN convention against corruption in Germany

2020 ◽  
pp. 004711782096566
Author(s):  
Max Lesch
Keyword(s):  
International Relations ◽  
International Norms ◽  
Public Official ◽  
Recent Introduction ◽  
Orders Of Worth ◽  
Pragmatic Sociology ◽  
The Right ◽  
German Parliament

In 2014, Germany became the 173rd state to ratify the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) – after more than ten years of disputes in the German parliament. To make sense of the protracted debates about ratifying UNCAC, the article follows the recent introduction of Luc Boltanski’s pragmatic sociology to International Relations (IR). I argue that this approach opens new avenues for researching normativity in hybrid arrangements of multiple, overlapping orders of worth and through ongoing tests of the right evaluation of a situation. I show that the belayed ratification of UNCAC in Germany was the result of the hybridity inherent to norms against corruption. In the debates, members of the German parliament relied on competing normative inventories to translate the term ‘public official’ to the German context and to settle the meaning of corruption. This article contributes to IR norm research by unpacking normative multiplicity and contradictions that undergird international norms and disputes about them.

scholarly journals The Institutional Logic of Welfare Attitudes

2007 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Albrekt Larsen
Keyword(s):  
Welfare Policy ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Regime Theory ◽  
Welfare Regimes ◽  
The Public ◽  
National Differences ◽  
Job Opportunities ◽  
Welfare Attitudes ◽  
Basic Ideas

Why are people who live in liberal welfare regimes so reluctant to support welfare policy? And why are people who live in social democratic welfare regimes so keen to support welfare policy? This article seeks to give an institutional account of these cross-national differences. Previous attempts to link institutions and welfare attitudes have not been convincing. The empirical studies have had large difficulties in finding the expected effects from regime-dependent differences in self-interest, class interest, and egalitarian values. This article develops a new theoretical macro—micro link by combining the literature on deservingness criteria and the welfare regime theory. The basic ideas are that three regime characteristics, (a) the degree of universalism in welfare policy, (b) the differences in economic resources between “the bottom” and “the majority,” and (c) the degree of job opportunities, have a profound impact on the public deservingness discussion and thereby on public support for welfare policy.

Doing good at a nonprofit tourist attraction

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 74-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Karin Olsson ◽  
Martin Gellerstedt
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Customer Relationships ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
Tourist Attraction ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Relationship Context ◽  
Strategic Resources ◽  
Good For

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the growing field of membership research by applying a relationship marketing perspective on members in tourism settings. Focus is on exploring why consumers are members (motivational dimensions) and how motivations are related to member behaviours (retention, participation and co-creation), and to member demographics (gender, age, distance between the member's home and the supported organization). Design/methodology/approach – A survey was conducted among members of a nonprofit tourist attraction (n=755). Classical chi-square tests, t-tests and multivariate analysis using logistic regression were used to analyze data and to test eight hypotheses on member demographics, member motivations and member behaviours. Findings – Findings show that among the three motivational dimensions, altruism, i.e. doing good for others, was the strongest motive, followed by self-interest, i.e. doing good for yourself, and then the social motive, i.e. doing good with others, which scored lowest. Furthermore, findings show that gender, age and distance were significantly related to member motivations and member behaviours. Member behaviours were significantly related to motivations. Research limitations/implications – This study was conducted at a single nonprofit tourist attraction. However, it provides insights into different motivational dimensions for why people pay to become members and what kind of member behaviour they demonstrate. This topic calls for further research to explore the complex membership phenomenon such as extending this study by identifying member motives and behaviour in other contexts. Practical implications – This explorative study of members of a nonprofit tourist attraction contributes insights into why consumers are members (motivational dimensions), how motivations are related to member behaviours in a membership relationship context, and how member demographics are related to motivations and behaviours. Findings have implications for membership managers and the development of memberships in terms of giving a deeper insight into members as consumers in order to develop memberships as strategic resources and hence use the full potential of memberships especially vital to non-profit organizations. Several aspects of memberships are discussed that may inspire the development of member offerings. The present study contributes to the developing field of membership research as it is a response to the calls for more empirical studies of members to develop an integrated understanding of motivations of memberships. Furthermore it contributes with research of co-creation in customer relationships linking the co-creation concept to research of members in tourism settings. Originality/value – This study contributes to the developing field of membership research and furthermore gives insights into consumer motivations and behaviours that may inspire development of innovative and competitive membership offerings building membership relationships in tourism settings.

scholarly journals Problems of Information Support of Non-Profit Organizations Working with Volunteers: General Trends and a Case-Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 230-240
Author(s):  
Tatyana Bakhmatova ◽  
Anna Khromenkova
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Communication Channels ◽  
Information Support ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
The Social ◽  
Detailed Assessment ◽  
Common Problems ◽  
Non Profit Organizations ◽  
Object Of Study

The globalization of information processes leads to the development of a large number of channels that are used to provide information for non-profit organizations. Today, there is a clear deficiency of scientific research devoted to the systemic assessment of the effectiveness of information and communication channels in organizing volunteer activities. The purpose of this study is to identify the most common problems of information support for the activities of non-profit organizations working with volunteers. The object of study is the Obereg charity fund. The study, carried out on the basis of the case-study strategy, allowed to make a detailed assessment of the information environment of the non-profit organization, to analyze the problems of using communication channels in the activities of non-profit organizations working with volunteers. With the help of the social network analysis service Socstat, groups of organizations in the social network VKontakte were analyzed, the engagement rate was calculated, and the results of empirical studies based on the content analysis of the websites of 10 organizations in Russia and groups in social networks were presented. The study showed that the most common problems of communication channel functioning of non-profit organizations are irregular and unsystematic use of channels, incompleteness of information provided, the lack of an information manager. The following ways of solving the identified problems were proposed: involvement of relevant specialists; preparation of a comprehensive strategy for working with communication channels; implementation of an omnichannel strategy.

scholarly journals HRM Practices and Work Engagement Relationship: Differences Concerning Individual Adaptability

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 10666
Author(s):  
Flavio Urbini ◽  
Antonio Chirumbolo ◽  
Gabriele Giorgi ◽  
Emanuela Caracuzzo ◽  
Antonino Callea
Keyword(s):  
Work Engagement ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Structural Equation Models ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Organizational Attitudes ◽  
Hrm Practices ◽  
The Relationship

The importance of human resource management (HRM) practices to improve organizational attitudes and behaviors is not yet widely acknowledged. However, is not clear whether the effect of HRM practices on outcomes vary depending on the level of specific personal resources. The present paper aims to examine the relationship between HRM practices and work engagement by focusing on the moderating role of adaptability. We used cross-sectional data with surveys from 1219 Italian employees in public, private, and non-profit organizations. The results of structural equation models (SEM) showed that HRM practices were positively related to work engagement overall for employees with low adaptability. Therefore, adaptability moderated the relationship between HRM practices and work engagement. In terms of originality, this study is based on the paucity of empirical studies linking developmental HR practices to employees’ work engagement. Hence, the present study addressed this gap by examining the relationship between the perception of HRM practices and work engagement, as well as how adaptability moderated this relationship. These findings are discussed in terms of their theoretical and practical implications for HRM.

scholarly journals influence of social support and personal networks on doctoral student performance

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentina Hlebec ◽  
Tina Kogovšek ◽  
Anuška Ferligoj
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Work Motivation ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Psychological Research ◽  
Personal Networks ◽  
Organizational Research ◽  
Explained Variance

In the paper the effects of individual and social factors on the performance of doctoral students (young researchers) in Slovenia are studied. The paper starts with an overview of theoretical models and empirical studies that originate in educational research and psychological research. The paper continues with a description of theoretical models and empirical studies that originate from organizational research and focus on explaining job performance. The Job Demands-Resources model (Xanthopoulou et al., 2007; Bakker and Demerouti, 2007) is used to explain why some doctoral students perform better than others. Social support networks and social support from a doctoral student's research group (supervisor and co-workers) are operationalized as job resources. The proportion of explained variance of the doctoral students' academic performance is 0.14. Social support and personal networks have the largest effect, following by work motivation.

EXPENSES AND INCOME OF RUSSIAN NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN THE DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM OF THEIR FINANCIAL RELATIONS

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 27-30
Author(s):  
E. M. POSADNEVA ◽  
Keyword(s):  
The State ◽  
Current Level ◽  
Business Community ◽  
Russian Society ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Development System ◽  
Non Profit Organizations ◽  
Special Relevance ◽  
Different Levels

At present, the financial relations of non-profit organizations in Russia with different levels of government, as well as the business community, characterize the degree of social, moral and cultural situation in society. The relations of non-profit organizations in terms of their financing are associated with support from the state, its interest in their functioning thanks to the budgetary funds received from it and receipts from extra-budgetary funds. At the current level of development of Russian society, and due to the aggravated situation with the pandemic, the topic of the sphere of activity of non-profit organizations, obviously, acquires special relevance.

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