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Özdemir Kaya DD, Fotaki M. Grounding in the unconscious: “The field” in psychosocial organizational ethnography. ORGANIZATION 2023. [DOI: 10.1177/13505084221148640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
Psychosocial research, which explores the unconscious and affective dynamics of organizational and social phenomena from critical perspectives, often adopts ethnographic methods. However, its locus, the unconscious, has an obscure, diffuse and dynamic nature that calls into question two central assumptions of conventional organizational ethnography: that an organization is a self-contained physical (research) site, and ethnographic research is best led by participant observation. The unconscious is produced by countless agents dispersed across time and space, making it impossible to readily identify a research site. Furthermore, psychosocial phenomena cannot be physically demarcated because a multitude of discourses, imagery, psyches, bodies, and objects are enmeshed in them. These raise contentious ontological, epistemological, and methodological questions for psychosocial researchers. In this article, we ruminate on “the field” in psychosocial organizational ethnography, seeking a robust epistemological and methodological approach to constructing and dwelling in an unconscious research site. Drawing on Lacanian psychoanalysis, we present a conceptual discussion of these issues and translate them into ethnographic methods illustrated by examples from the authors’ research. By critically re-evaluating the question of “the field,” we contribute to ethnographic studies of organizational phenomena with “fuzzy fields” without self-evident boundaries that draw on diverse onto-epistemologies.
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Dahlman S. Affective boundaries: The power effects of objects of emotion in collaborative encounters. ORGANIZATION 2023. [DOI: 10.1177/13505084231151764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
Organization studies has (re)turned to affect, a development that has brought affective tensions—build-ups of energy, or vitalities—to the fore of research. Previous studies on affect in organizations underline the organizational and transformational effects of affective milieus or atmospheres. I contribute to this research with a micro perspective on how affect shapes intersubjective relationships. I do so through an ethnographically inspired study of SusPens, a fin-tech start-up that uses algorithmic tools to screen sustainable investments. In the course of my empirical engagement, I identified recurring tensions in the collaboration between tech professionals and business professionals. I unpack these tensions in three collaborative encounters, focusing on how the algorithm functioned as a common reference point as well as a barrier for the collaboration. To conceptualize the observed tensions, the article builds on Sara Ahmed’s concept of objects of emotion and introduces affective boundaries as a theoretical construct for understanding the power effects of affective circulation. The article details how affective boundaries are installed through the affective misalignments that arise as the algorithm circulates as an object of emotion among the team members. The article concludes that the installment of affective boundaries delineates who is included in and who is excluded from the collaboration, pointing to how power works affectively in intersubjective relations, empowering some and disqualifying others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Dahlman
- Roskilde University, Department of Communication and Arts, Denmark
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Zamani ED, Spanaki K. Affective temporal experiences and new work modalities: The role of Information and Communication Technologies. JOURNAL OF BUSINESS RESEARCH 2023; 154:113311. [PMID: 36156904 PMCID: PMC9482338 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.113311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, new ways of working emerged, such as fully remote to hybrid work. As the restrictions with regards to the spatial dimension of work become less rigid, the temporal dimension surfaces as one of the more important aspects of work. In this study, we draw from the Negative Theology of Time to present a more nuanced understanding of how Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) influence temporal experiences and how these shape work itself. We do this by leveraging the metaphor genre, linking our observations to existing literature, and discussing chronopathic experiences, chronotelic behaviours and uses of ICTs.
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Culié JD, Meyer V, Philippe X. Listening to the call of boredom at work: A Heideggerian journey into Michel Houellebecq’s novels. ORGANIZATION 2022. [DOI: 10.1177/13505084221098239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
From the very first organizational theories, boredom at work has been closely linked to the issue of time. However, studies on boredom have often considered the phenomenon as a mere behavioral outcome of organizational processes or practices and have built on an instrumental approach, neglecting its deeper manifestations. Following recent calls to tackle boredom as a fundamental issue in organization studies, we build on Heidegger’s framework to delve into superficial, retrospective, and profound boredom. This phenomenological approach enables us to go beyond the instrumental view of boredom, revealing the close links between boredom at work, time, and authenticity. To this end, we adopt a genuine empirical tool, immersed in the eight novels of the famous French writer, Michel Houellebecq, a unique observer of contemporary workers. Our findings help us to highlight two contributions. First, we argue that in trying to divert their employees from boredom by creating and developing “passing the time” activities, organizations only reinforce boredom at work, leading them to an unauthentic relationship with time and being. Second, we delve into the meanders of profound boredom at work and suggest that by listening to its call, individuals may unveil what truly matters to them and find a way to reach authenticity at work.
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Abstract
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore various concepts of time and temporal dimensions in the context of everyday reading experiences.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses theoretical bricolage that puts existing reading research into conversation with theories of time and temporalities.FindingsThree registers of time in reading are put forward: (1) libraries and books as places that readers return to again and again over time, (2) temporalized reading bodies and (3) everyday reading as a temporalized practice.Research limitations/implicationsUsing lenses of time and temporalities, everyday reading is shown to be central to ways of being in time. Subjectives experiences of time in the context of reading expand the limited ways that time is presented in much Library and Information Science (LIS) reading research.Originality/valueThis paper offers a new conceptual framework for studies of reading and readers in LIS.
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Harviainen JT, Lehtonen MJ, Kock S. Timeliness in information sharing within creative industries. Case: Finnish game design. JOURNAL OF DOCUMENTATION 2021. [DOI: 10.1108/jd-12-2020-0207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
PurposeThis article aims to examine instances of timeliness and temporality in information sharing conducted by members of the Finnish game design community. By doing so, it provides new knowledge into the ways in which organizational information practices may take place on an individual and interpersonal level, and the ways in which timeliness impact information sharing.Design/methodology/approachThe article is based on three sets of interviews, gathered in 2012–2014, 2017–2018 and 2018–2020.FindingsThe authors identify six themes of information sharing and show that time is strongly tied to the ways in which people in the Finnish game development industry share information outside of their own companies.Originality/valueThis type of information sharing has not been previously researched. This study brings forth new knowledge on how timeliness influence information sharing within creative industries.
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Kunisch S, Blagoev B, Bartunek JM. Complex Times, Complex Time: The Pandemic, Time‐Based Theorizing and Temporal Research in Management and Organization Studies. JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES 2021; 58:1411-1415. [PMCID: PMC8250681 DOI: 10.1111/joms.12703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
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Harmon J, Duffy LN. A Moment in Time: Leisure and the Manifestation of Purpose. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIOLOGY OF LEISURE 2021. [PMCID: PMC7565223 DOI: 10.1007/s41978-020-00073-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Justin Harmon
- Department of Community and Therapeutic Recreation, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27412 USA
| | - Lauren N. Duffy
- Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, Clemson University, Clemson, SC USA
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Zamani ED, Pouloudi N. Generative mechanisms of workarounds, discontinuance and reframing: a study of negative disconfirmation with consumerised
IT. INFORMATION SYSTEMS JOURNAL 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/isj.12315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Nancy Pouloudi
- Department of Management Science and Technology Athens University of Economics and Business Athens Greece
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Garner J. Experiencing time in prison: the influence of books, libraries and reading. JOURNAL OF DOCUMENTATION 2020. [DOI: 10.1108/jd-07-2019-0128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
PurposeThe purpose of this article is to explore the influence of books, libraries and reading on the experience of time within the prison environment.Design/methodology/approachUsing semi-structured interviews with Australian adult prisoners, and a phenomenological data analysis method, the researcher has been able to identify lived experiences that explain how books, libraries and reading influence the experience of time, within a prison environment.FindingsPrisoners' experience of time differs from the experience of time outside prison. Unlike readers and library users outside prison, prisoners are motivated to use books, libraries and reading to pass time. They are using books, libraries and reading to assist in their struggle to manage the negative effects of excessive quantities of unstructured time.Research limitations/implicationsResearch regarding the motivation to read and use libraries in the general population does not identify the desire to pass time as a factor. In contrast, the current study identifies readers and library users in prisons are strongly motivated to read and visit libraries as a means of passing time. This study adds a new understanding of the motivation to read and visit libraries within prison environments and provides insight into the beneficial influence of prison libraries on prisoner wellbeing.Originality/valueThis research contributes valuable new knowledge regarding the experience of time in prison, and the influence of books, libraries and reading on this experience.
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Otto BD, Strauß A. The Novel as Affective Site: Uncertain work as impasse in Wait Until Spring, Bandini. ORGANIZATION STUDIES 2019. [DOI: 10.1177/0170840619874463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In this paper we propose that reading and writing with novels contributes to the emerging field of researching affect in organization studies. Situating our argument in current research on work-related uncertainty, we take John Fante’s novel Wait Until Spring, Bandini as a ‘sensuous site’ of research to engage with the experience of feeling stuck – addressed as impasse, limbo or permanent temporariness – as a condition of contemporary work lives. While affect theoretical approaches often emphasize precognitive intensities and their transformative potential, the novel foregrounds how affective intensities stay and stick as they are entangled with powerful socio-political conventions, such as investments in the American Dream or the idea of stable employment. Such affective attachments take shape in antithetic dynamics of the not-so-static state of feeling stuck.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birke Dorothea Otto
- European University Viadrina, Frankfurt/Oder, Germany and Copenhagen Business School, Denmark
| | - Anke Strauß
- Zeppelin University, Friedrichshafen, Germany
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