Unconventional Methodology in Organization and Management Research

Description

Most researchers in organization and management studies stick to two or three traditional research methods like surveys and interviews. Sticking with the familiar is seen as a safe bet, and innovation is discouraged by academic incentives and rewards. But research participants are now suffering from 'survey fatigue', and using the same old methods runs the risk of generating the same old findings. This book describes twelve unconventional methodologies in organization and management research. These include unconventional research settings and data sources, unconventional research designs and data collection methods, unconventional analytic approaches, and designs and methods that exploit new technology developments. The aim is to encourage dialogue and experimentation with regard to the development of innovative, unconventional approaches to organization and management research. Several commentators have criticized the way in which research methods have become more formulaic, and have argued for greater diversity in research approaches. The methodological perspective that the we adopt shapes our interpretation of the information that we gather. Different methods generate different kinds of information, leading to different ways of understanding the phenomena that we are investigating. Our methods influence our styles of theorizing, ways of thinking and reasoning, and forms of writing and reporting research. This book will be of value to academic researchers in organization and management studies, Doctoral candidates, and Masters students on MBA and similar programmes. Cover Unconventional Methodology in Organization and Management Research Copyright Dedication CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES LIST OF TABLES LIST OF CODES CONTRIBUTORS 1: ‘Not another survey’: The value of unconventional methods Aims and readers WHAT COUNTS AS MAINSTREAM METHODOLOGY? WHAT COUNTS AS UNCONVENTIONAL? Methodological conservatism Methodological innovation Invitations to be unconventional The view from editors’ desks The structure of this book UNCONVENTIONAL SETTINGS AND DATA SOURCES UNCONVENTIONAL RESEARCH DESIGN AND DATA COLLECTION METHODS UNCONVENTIONAL ANALYTIC APPROACHES APPENDIX: EDITORS’ CHOICE OF METHODOLOGICALLY INNOVATIVE ARTICLES (* = MAINSTREAM) REFERENCES Part 1: Unconventional Settings and Data Sources 2: Desert island data: Using BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs in organization and management research Radio archives: an untapped resource Desert Island Discs in organization and management research The Desert Island Discs performance The music EVOKING MEMORY CONSTRUCTING IDENTITY Discussion REFERENCES 3: Using fiction in organization and management research Why fiction? Uses of fiction in organization and management research FICTIONAL RESEARCH FICTION AS INSPIRATION FICTION AS DATA SOURCE FICTION AS RESEARCH Benefits and drawbacks of using fiction FICTIONAL RESEARCH FICTION AS INSPIRATION FICTION AS DATA SOURCE RESEARCH AS FICTION Conclusion REFERENCES 4: Innovations in unobtrusive methods Introduction The value of new unobtrusive methods A propitious time for unobtrusive methods New unobtrusive methods TRACES: FROM PHYSICAL TO DIGITAL PUBLIC ARCHIVES: FROM CUMBERSOME TO CLICKABLE PRIVATE ARCHIVES: FROM PERSONNEL TO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SIMPLE OBSERVATION: FROM PEN AND PAPER TO WEARABLE SENSORS CONTRIVED OBSERVATION: FROM MANUAL TO COMPUTER-ASSISTED CODING OF RECORDINGS Caveats, cautions, and recommendations for using new unobtrusive methods ACQUIRING REQUISITE EXPERTISE ADDRESSING MEASUREMENT VALIDITY CONTENDING WITH AMBIGUOUS ETHICAL STANDARDS Conclusion REFERENCES 5: Research in extreme contexts What’s the problem? Researcher, historian, detective The embedded researcher Extreme contexts in social science fiction Our own extreme context experience MAGILL HOSPITAL THORP SELLAFIELD CENTRICA STORAGE RICHLEY FIRE AND RESCUE 1. Follow the Opportunities 2. Establish Rapport 3. Build and Maintain a Network 4. Recognize the Reciprocity Conclusion POSSIBILITIES AND BENEFITS DRAWBACKS AND LIMITATIONS IGNORE CONVENTION ADVICE REFERENCES 6: Making the case: A qualitative approach to studying social media documents Introduction Conceptual issues QUALITATIVE MEDIA ANALYSIS Police and media: a ‘new visibility’ Vignette 1: Police use of Twitter Vignette 2: Police response to YouTube video Conclusion REFERENCES Part 2: Unconventional Research Design and Data Collection Methods 7: Netnography: Engaging with the challenges Introduction The basis of netnography Five differences between ethnography and netnography ALTERATION ACCESS ARCHIVING ANALYSIS ACCOMMODATION On the liquidity of sites On the open-endedness of participation On the issue of time Responsibilities and horizons REFERENCES 8: Institutions under a microscope: Experimental methods in institutional theory Introduction Microfoundations of institutions The case for experiments TWO LOGICS IN EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH THE QUESTION OF EXTERNAL VALIDITY Experimental research in institutional theory MICRO-LEVEL SOURCES OF INSTITUTIONAL PERSISTENCE THE ROLE OF INSTITUTIONAL CONTEXT AND ITS CONSTITUTIVE ELEMENTS ADOPTION AND DIFFUSION OF INSTITUTIONAL PRACTICES LEGITIMACY ANTECEDENTS AND OUTCOMES HOW DO THOSE WHO ‘OWN’ LEGITIMACY BEHAVE? SUMMARY Recommendations for experimental investigations in institutional theory CONSISTENCY IN RESEARCH LOGIC ONLINE VERSUS LABORATORY DATA COLLECTION ATTENTION AND MANIPULATION CHECKS Conclusion REFERENCES 9: Beyond one voice: Co-constructed analytic auto-ethnography Auto-ethnography: so much more than ‘confessional tales’ The role of critical realism Critical realism and co-constructed analytic auto-ethnography CO-CONSTRUCTED ANALYTIC AUTO-ETHNOGRAPHY TESTING OF IDEAS EMOTIONAL LABOUR AND AUTHENTICITY IN THE PRACTICE OF LEADERSHIP THE CASE EXAMPLE Co-constructed analytic auto-ethnography and mixed methods research THE RESEARCH PROCESS FROM ‘CO-CONSTRUCTED’ TO ‘ANALYTIC’ CLOSING WARD: IMPACT OF EMOTIONAL LABOUR ON AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP PRACTICE TESTING FOR THEORY RESONANCE Auto-ethnography repositioned CRITICISM #1—AUTO-ETHNOGRAPHY CANNOT FIGHT FAMILIARITY CRITICISM #2—AUTO-ETHNOGRAPHY IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO WRITE AND PUBLISH ETHICALLY CRITICISM #3—RESEARCH IS SUPPOSED TO BE ANALYTIC NOT MERELY EXPERIENTIAL CRITICISM #4—AUTO-ETHNOGRAPHY FOCUSES ON THE POWERFUL NOT THE POWERLESS TO WHOM WE SHOULD BE DIRECTING OUR SOCIOLOGICAL GAZE CRITICISM #5—IT ABROGATES OUR DUTY TO GO OUT AND COLLECT DATA CRITICISM #6—ACADEMICS ARE NOT INTERESTING ENOUGH TO WRITE ABOUT IN JOURNALS Conclusion REFERENCES 10: Participant-led video diaries Introduction Visual research methods: a brief review The Digital Brain Switch project: capturing and understanding boundary transition in the digital age Methodology Analysis and findings Reflections: the pros and cons of video diaries Conclusion ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS REFERENCES 11: Inter-organizational ethnography: Promises and problems Introduction From organizational to inter-organizational ethnography Defining and distinguishing inter-organizational relations Inquiring into inter-organizational relations HIERARCHY MARKETS NETWORKS Conclusion REFERENCES Part 3: Unconventional Analytic Approaches 12: Unconventional yet consequential: Using a sociomaterial approach to drive impact in organization studies research Introduction A sociomaterial perspective Five guides from a sociomaterial approach to research OUTCOMES AND NOT JUST PROCESSES Using Barley ACCUMULATIONS AND NOT JUST ACTIVITIES Using Barley LAYERS OF ANALYSIS AND NOT JUST LEVELS Using Barley RELATIVE DURABILITY AND NOT JUST DYNAMICS Using Barley CONSEQUENCES AND NOT JUST CHANGE Using Barley The challenge of novelty in unconventional research OUTCOMES AND PROCESSES ACCUMULATIONS AND ACTIVITIES UNITS AND LAYERS OF ANALYSIS RELATIVE DURABILITY AND DYNAMICS CONSEQUENCES AND CHANGE Conclusion REFERENCES 13: Path constitution analysis: A methodology for understanding path dependence and path creation Introduction PCA as a methodology PATH DEPENDENCE PATH CREATION PATH CONSTITUTION DEFINITION AND CONSTITUTIVE FEATURES OF A PATH Research setting and methods DATA COLLECTION DATA ANALYSIS PCA in action LEVEL INTERRELATEDNESS TRIGGERING EVENTS NON-ERGODIC PROCESSES SELF-REINFORCING PROCESSES LOCK-IN MULTIPLE ACTORS Conclusion and limitations ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS REFERENCES 14: Methodology matters Scaffolding and hygiene? UNCONVENTIONAL DATA SOURCES NOVEL RESEARCH DESIGNS NEW ANALYTIC APPROACHES EXPLOITATION OF TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENTS Can novelty be dangerous? Unconventional methodology matters REFERENCES INDEX