THE USE OF GROUNDED THEORY FOR THE QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR

Qualitative social research generates large amounts of non-standard data which make analysis problematic. This discussion advocates the use of grounded theory as a way of handling these problems. The approach is illustrated, in the context of organizational research, by three cases of grounded theoretical analyses: (a) a study of face-to-face interaction in a hospital between nurses and patients’ relatives; (b) a field-study based on the complex organizational interrelationships associated with small batch production manufacturing; and (c) a documentary-based analysis of the organizational pre-conditions of large-scale accidents. The discussion of the cases stresses the manner in which the qualitative data collected were manipulated in order to give them theoretical shape.     

EXPLORATIONS IN MACRO COMMUNICATION BEHAVIOUR: THE EFFECTS OF ORGANIZATIONAL FEEDBACK ON ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS [1]

Organizational feedback is identified as an attribute of organizations and as a form of macroscopic communication behaviour. Previous organizational theory is used to generate propositions linking organizational feedback (horizontal and vertical) to organizational effectiveness in order to evaluate the construct validity of feedback. Reliable measures of feedback are devised and the posited relationships are empirically examined using federated nonprofit organizations. Horizontal feedback is observed to be positively related to three forms of organizational effectiveness (goal attainment, superordinate approval and lateral approval). Vertical feedback is found to be positively related only to goal attainment. Organizational feedback is concluded to be a viable concept worthy of further investigation and additional research on communication as a property of organizational collectivities is recommended.     

ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AND WORK GROUP BEHAVIOUR: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY

This paper reports on a research study about the organizational cultures of a number of textile manufacturing plants from both the public and the private sector in Ahmedabad, India. These plants were shown to vary along one aspect of their work-group behaviour, namely the rate of ‘loitering’ among loomshed workers. The concept of ‘culture’ is defined in terms of the shared beliefs, values, norms and traditions within the organizations. Methods of observation and informal open-ended interviews were used to identify elements and/or dimensions of organizational culture, which were subsequently measured through structured interviews with loomshed workers. The study shows a definite relationship between ‘culture’ and ‘loitering’; however, the critical elements of culture influencing loitering behaviour vary from public to private sector plants. The implications of the findings of the study for the plants under reference, for production organizations in general as well as for organization theory are discussed.     

RECRUITMENT MODE AS A FACTOR AFFECTING INFORMANT RESPONSE IN ORGANIZATIONAL RESEARCH*

Hear my words carefully. Some are spoken not by me, but by a man in my position. Norman MacCaig (1969)     

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH AND PARADIGMS OF PRACTICE

This paper is concerned with the appropriateness of qualitative methodologies for the retrospective evaluation of programmes of organizational change. Certain reviews of our re-evaluation of a new philosophy of management, which was introduced within a major oil refining company in the mid 1960's, indicate that qualitative research is seen as inappropriate by many social scientists. However other reviewers argue that good qualitative evaluation necessarily entails close and continuing involvement with the process of change. Having outlined our methodology we consider the potential of these perspectives as a blueprint for activity in applied social science. We conclude by suggesting that advocates of such differing paradigms of practice should recognize that, unlike some natural science paradigms, competing paradigms should not be thought of as mutually exclusive.     

ASSESSING THE SAMPLES OF PRIOR ORGANIZATIONAL RESEARCH

The sampling designs used in organizational research have been less than consistent across different reported studies. In this analysis we examine the reported relationships among several key organizational variables in ten separate previously published studies to determine the degree to which major differences in sample designs have influenced findings. We isolate that portion of reported associations due to unique characteristics of the samples and report the association these ‘sample design effects’ have with particular sample designs. Results indicate homogeneous samples of organizations inflate reported relationships yet leave significant sources of variation uncontrolled in sample selection. an alternative to sampling of homogeneous organizations is suggested by the fact that larger and probabilitistically selected samples are also associated with larger reported relationships among organizational variables.     

QUALITATIVE AND MIXED‐METHODS RESEARCH IN ECONOMICS: SURPRISING GROWTH,PROMISING FUTURE

Qualitative research in economics has traditionally been unimportant compared to quantitative work. Yet there has been a small explosion in use of quantitative approaches in the past 10–15 years, including ‘mixed‐methods’ projects which use qualitative and quantitative methods in combination. This paper surveys the growing use of qualitative methods in economics and closely related fields, aiming to provide economists with a useful roadmap through major sets of qualitative methods and how and why they are used. We review the growing body of economic research using qualitative approaches, emphasizing the gains from using qualitative‐ or mixed‐methods over traditional ‘closed‐ended’ approaches. It is argued that, although qualitative methods are often portrayed as less reliable, less accurate, less powerful and/or less credible than quantitative methods, in fact, the two sets of methods have their own strengths, and how much can be learned from one type of method or the other depends on specific issues that arise in studying the topic of interest. The central message of the paper is that well‐done qualitative work can provide scientifically valuable and intellectually helpful ways of adding to the stock of economic knowledge, especially when applied to research questions for which they are well suited.     

CONSTRUING ORGANIZATIONAL TEXTURE IN YOUNG ENTREPRENEURIAL FIRMS

In a young entrepreneurial firm, two developmental processes are identified. One reflects the emergence of a social network whilst the other reflects the emergence of a task domain. The concept of ‘organizational dialogue’ is introduced to describe the action strategies through which these two processes are connected. The resulting textures may critically be examined to produce ‘process’ knowledge. It is argued that organizational theory can benefit from more work of this kind.     

ORGANIZATIONAL INNOVATION: REVIEW,CRITIQUE AND SUGGESTED RESEARCH DIRECTIONS*

Despite broad interest and a vast literature, understanding of innovative behaviour in organizations remains relatively undeveloped. to contribute to the development of a more cumulative knowledge base, the author presents a conceptual review of the innovation literature by summarizing and organizing prior research into three related, though often confounded, research streams and identifies major reasons for the inconsistent and inconclusive nature of the research. Strategies for conducting more generalizable innovation research are suggested.     

COMPARATIVE ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS RESEARCH LEADING TO AN INTERVENTION STRATEGY [I]

Several literature reviews have concluded that there is little consistency among researchers and practitioners when referring to the concept, ‘organizational effectiveness’. In this study, multiple data gathered on several organizational constituencies for three models of organizational effectiveness are studied to examine empirically the comparability of those models. The relative effectiveness of each organization varied both between and within the theoretical models providing the bases of analysis. Little convergence exists among the models so that problem diagnosis intervention in the processes of small organizations may be more accurate when treating effectiveness as a multivariate concept examined via a given organization's constituencies over time.     

CONVERGENT DYNAMICS IN THE PRODUCTION OF ORGANIZATIONAL CONFIGURATIONS*

Organization theory lacks an adequate accounting for the processes that produce distinct structural configurations. This article interprets organization structure as an instantaneous correspondence between three analytical levels that simultaneously constrain and stimulate behaviour: infrastructure, sociostructure, and superstructure. Structuring results from a process of convergence across levels that produces distinct configurations and provides observers with a living record of the organization's historical development. This article explores the dynamics of convergence through a comparative case study of two organizations in the publishing industry. Both firms developed into stable structural configurations that were uniquely produced from historically specific accommodations.     

COGNITIVE MAPPING AND REPERTORY GRIDS FOR QUALITATIVE SURVEY RESEARCH: SOME COMPARATIVE OBSERVATIONS

A study of business strategy was carried out in 86 organizations in the crop protection industry. A multi-operational approach was used to enable validation of data by triangulation, including cognitive mapping used in an unusual way. This provided an unintended opportunity to conduct a comparative evaluation of interactive investigational methods in a relatively controlled, if unsophisticated manner. Results were interesting enough to suggest that further investigation is needed into the impact of various subject-generated factors such as face validity on methodological effectivness, as well as more traditional criteria such as construct validity of particular methods. Accordingly, process issues affecting repertory grids, cognitive mapping and software for the analysis of cognitive maps (COPE) are described and discussed. Recommendations are made for improvements to mapping and software and further studies suggested.     

INTERPRETING ORGANIZATIONAL TEXTS

The mere observing of a thing is no use whatsoever. Observing turns into beholding, beholding into thinking, thinking into establishing connections, so that one may say that every attentive glance we cast on the world is an act of theorizing…     

LINKING COGNITIVE, ORGANIZATIONAL AND POLITICAL FACTORS IN EXPLAINING STRATEGIC CHANGE

Much recent research on strategic decision-making and strategic change from many different perspectives challenges the view that decision outcomes are the product of rational choice. Allison's (1971) classification scheme is used to categorize recent strategic decision research within three different perspectives. Discussions of research on cognitive, organizational and political perspectives are followed by an integrative discussion showing how these three perspectives can be combined to deal with the full complexity of strategic decisions and the strategic change process.