Profits Uber everything? The gig economy and the morality of category work

In this essay, we address the question of how the strategic and organizational activities of on-demand sharing economy companies such as Uber are labeled and classified. We approach this question through a categorization lens and explore in particular whether sharing economy companies can legitimately frame the individuals who work for them as “independent workers” and what this implies for the nature of the employment relationship in such on-demand business models. Our overall aim in doing this is twofold. First, we highlight and address an important categorization issue in our current society, which has potentially far-reaching consequences for the nature of employment and the securities and protections that workers used to enjoy in many parts of the world. Second, we advance prior research in the strategy and organizational domain by elaborating how acts of categorization are inherently moral and political in nature. In this way, we aim to provoke researchers toward studying the moral basis of categorization work and we provide pointers in this essay for how they might do so

The sense of it all: Framing and narratives in sensegiving about a strategic change

Managers leading strategic change processes have to be skilled language users in order to convince others of the necessity of change and to shape the interpretations of their followers in a preferred direction. This paper asks how and why managers employ certain forms of language in their sensegiving during strategic change, and when these managers are effective in their language use to change the sensemaking of others in the organization. On the basis of a longitudinal case study of a European multinational corporation, we find that effective sensegiving is about providing organizational members with a pragmatic form – a way of making sense rather than, as previous research suggests, about providing them with pre-packaged meanings. We extend prior research by distinguishing the effects that the different linguistic forms of managerial sensegiving have on organizational sensemaking. Furthermore, the managers we studied were effective in their sensegiving when they combined framing and narratives. These two forms of language supported each other by amplifying the overall effect on organizational sensemaking. This notion of a combined use of framing and narratives complements previous research, which has largely studied them separately

The sense of it all: Framing and narratives in sensegiving about a strategic change

Managers leading strategic change processes have to be skilled language users in order to convince others of the necessity of change and to shape the interpretations of their followers in a preferred direction. This paper asks how and why managers employ certain forms of language in their sensegiving during strategic change, and when these managers are effective in their language use to change the sensemaking of others in the organization. On the basis of a longitudinal case study of a European multinational corporation, we find that effective sensegiving is about providing organizational members with a pragmatic form – a way of making sense rather than, as previous research suggests, about providing them with pre-packaged meanings. We extend prior research by distinguishing the effects that the different linguistic forms of managerial sensegiving have on organizational sensemaking. Furthermore, the managers we studied were effective in their sensegiving when they combined framing and narratives. These two forms of language supported each other by amplifying the overall effect on organizational sensemaking. This notion of a combined use of framing and narratives complements previous research, which has largely studied them separately

Teleological reasoning and knowledge generation in marketing theory: observations and recommendations

The practice and sociology of theorising is one of the marketing discipline¿s most marginal specialties, yet its epistemological and methodological underpinnings including the morphology of explanations have very substantial bearing upon the nature and scope of marketing theory in general. Since the 1980s writings have increasingly attended to the relationship between philosophy and the marketing discipline. While much of the use of philosophy of science was rhetorical and directed towards either a critique or legitimation of the post-positivist or realist image of marketing science, certain ideas about the logic and epistemology of science nevertheless were insinuated into the practice of inquiry (see Hunt, 1991). Against this background and focussing on theory building and testing within marketing science, this paper discusses one act and aspect of theorising: the use of teleological reasoning in scientific explanations of marketing phenomena. The issues and problems surrounding the use of teleological reasoning are illustrated by an in-depth analysis of writings on 'integrated marketing communications' theory. Recommendations for the use of teleological reasoning in marketing and marketing communications theory are made

Gesture analysis and organizational research : the development and application of a protocol for naturalistic settings

Gestures are an underresearched but potentially significant aspect of organizational conduct that is relevant to researchers across a range of theoretical and empirical domains. In engaging the cross-disciplinary field of gesture studies, we develop and apply a protocol for analyzing gestures produced in naturalistic settings during on-going streams of talk and embodied activity. Analyzing video recordings of entrepreneurial investor pitches, we work through this protocol and demonstrate its usefulness. While doing so, we also explore methodological tensions in gesture studies and draw out methodological arguments as they relate to the analysis of these fleeting and often intricate bodily movements. The paper contributes a generally applicable protocol for the analysis of gestures in naturalistic settings, and it assesses the methodological implications of this protocol both for research on entrepreneurship and new venture creation, and for management and organization research more generally

Explaining employees’ reactions towards a cross-border merger:the role of English language fluency

In this paper, we focus on the role of language in cross-border mergers and acquisitions and explore how organization members’ language skills, or fluency, in the adopted lingua franca may impact their reactions to a merger. Drawing on a qualitative study of the post-merger integration between a French and Dutch airline where English was adopted as a lingua franca, we illustrate how language fluency influences the ability of individuals to give meaning to their changed circumstances. Moreover, we elaborate on how language fluency indexes social groupings and identities, and may thus be a driver of perceptions of status inequality and identity politics between different groups of employees. With our study we draw attention to the multi-faceted role of English as a lingua franca. Our findings also contribute to research on sociocultural dynamics associated with post-merger integration and the role of language in mergers and acquisitions, as well as in multinational companies more generally

Gesture Analysis and Organizational Research : The Development and Application of a Protocol for Naturalistic Settings

International audienceGestures are an underresearched but potentially significant aspect of organizational conduct that is relevant to researchers across a range of theoretical and empirical domains. In engaging the cross-disciplinary field of gesture studies, we develop and apply a protocol for analyzing gestures produced in naturalistic settings during ongoing streams of talk and embodied activity. Analyzing video recordings of entrepreneurial investor pitches, we work through this protocol and demonstrate its usefulness. While doing so, we also explore methodological tensions in gesture studies and draw out methodological arguments as they relate to the analysis of these fleeting and often intricate bodily movements. The article contributes a generally applicable protocol for the analysis of gestures in naturalistic settings, and it assesses the methodological implications of this protocol both for research on entrepreneurship and new venture creation and management and organization research more generally.<br/

Panacea or Dangerous Practice: A Counterpoint to Hanisch's Argument for Prescriptive Theorizing

AbstractIn this paper we provide a counterpoint to the view that prescriptive theorizing reflects a viable means for enhancing the practical impact of management theorizing towards addressing some of the most pressing societal concerns and grand challenges of our times. To do so, we first contextualize the roots of prescriptive theorizing in management research, arguing that the approach developed by Hanisch is reflective of the wider ‘positive’ prescriptive turn in social science theorizing. Second, we problematize the presumptive basis upon which much prescriptive theorizing as well as related ideas around utopian thinking are based. In doing so, our broader aim is to draw attention to the bases upon which prescriptive claims are made and we specifically highlight the dangers of implementing decontextualized, overly simple and stylized prescriptions in the face of complex grand challenges. In contrast to prescriptive theorizing, we propose that the practical impact of management theory may rather be enhanced through a tempering of instrumental rationality with a deep(er) concern for phenomena and experience. We conclude the paper by offering a number of ways in which this can be done.</jats:p