Developing a theoretical basis for the concept of organizational misbehaviour

356 Pages·2007·0.81 MB·English

University of Stirling
Developing a theoretical basis for the concept of
organizational misbehaviour
A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Department of Management
By James Richards
September 2006
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I could not possibly list all the people who helped in the process of writing this doctoral thesis.
To list them all would probably require a chapter in itself and a certain amount of time and
effort that I cannot currently spare. Instead I hope to thank every individual in person who has
played even a small part in a journey that began several years before starting this thesis.
However, there are a number of people I wish to note first of all as being significant
contributors, in an academic sense, to my achievements. The first is Professor Gregor Gall for
being the person who initially got me interesting in doing a Ph.D. Professor Gall also played a
part in the process of helping me get funding to undertake the Ph.D., as well as supervising
my work until the time of my initial submission back in the summer of 2004.
The second person I wish to thank is Professor Chris Baldry who took over when Professor
Gregor Gall departed Stirling University. Professor Baldry guided me through one of the most
difficult challenges of my life. I would also like to thank Dr. Jerry Hallier, my second supervisor
from the start of this research project and training exercise, who contributed far more than can
be typically expected of someone, deemed to be second in charge.
In a less direct manner, I would also like to take the time to thank my family and friends who
have supported me over a very long and exhausting period of time defined by a range of
problems not exclusively associated with this thesis. Of particular note are the people I love
the most – my son Adam, and my mum and dad. I would also like to thank Abigail and Sue for
the parts they played in keeping me sane during the last 2-3 years.
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ABSTRACT
Workplace misbehaviour is seen to be a neglected feature of organizational study (Ackroyd
and Thompson; Vardi and Weitz, 2004). Where research has been undertaken into
misbehaviour the emphasis tends fall into two broad categories. First of all, organizational
behaviour theorists use the term misbehaviour as a means to highlight how the ‘negative’
behaviour of employees gets in the way of formal organizational goals. Secondly, radical
sociologists tend to use the term misbehaviour as a means to critique Foucauldian labour
process theory. Here an argument is made that suggests the disciplinary affects of new
management practices associated with human resource management and total quality
management have been overstated. Furthermore, radical sociologists also use the term
misbehaviour as means to critique organizational behaviour accounts, which are believed to
paint overly optimistic accounts of organizational life.
However, on further examination it was discovered that neither a radical sociological
approach, nor a traditional organizational behaviour approach, sufficiently addresses the
current deficit in our understandings and explanations for workplace misbehaviour. Hence,
one of the main themes of this thesis was to design a theoretical and methodological
framework to address the deficit in our understandings and explanations. As such, a view was
taken of how a radical sociological approach (orthodox labour process analysis) combined
with an emerging social psychological perspective (a social identity approach (Haslam, 2001)
could help overcome previous theoretical problems associated with researching misbehaviour.
Empirical support for this approach is provided by the detailed examination of the objective
and subjective working conditions of four different sets of low status workers. The findings are
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based on longitudinal covert participant observations, as well as covert interviews and the
covert gathering of company documents. The findings depart from previous insights into
workplace misbehaviour in stressing the importance of acknowledging and investigating both
the organizational and sub-group social identities of low status workers, in relation to such
activities. As such, a great deal of the misbehaviour noted in the findings can be attributed to
the poor treatment of low status workers by management, yet misbehaviour is equally if not
more attributable to the empowering or inhibitive qualities of the many psychological groups
that worker can associate with or disassociate themselves from. Recommendations are made
about the direction of future research into workplace misbehaviour. There are many
suggestions made and include examining misbehaviour in a wider range of settings, sectors
and levels of organizations.
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LIST OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements ii
Abstract iii
List of contents v
List of figures xii
CHAPTER ONE:THE NEGLECT OF MISBEHAVIOUR
1.1 Introduction 1
1.1.1 The missing subject debate 3
1.1.2 Institutional denial 5
1.1.3 Re-balancing the knowledge deficit 6
1.2 Aims of the thesis 7
1.21 Primary research aims 8
1.22 Secondary research aims 9
1.23 Research parameters 10
1.3 Structure of the thesis 11
CHAPTER TWO:IN SEARCH OF MISBEHAVIOUR
2.1 Introduction 14
2.2 Literature overview 15
2.2.1 Expressions associated with misbehaviour 15
2.2.2 A brief history of work-related misbehaviour 22
2.1.3 Crossing disciplinary boundaries 29
2.1.4 Theoretical progression 34
2.3 Evaluating two contrasting approaches to
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Misbehaviour 35
2.3.1 Defining workplace misbehaviour 35
2.3.2 Basis of analysis 39
2.3.3 Type and range of misbehaviour 41
2.3.4 Beyond the scope of analysis 45
2.3.5 General explanations for misbehaviour 46
2.4 Evaluating misbehaviour literature 48
2.4.1 Conclusions 49
CHAPTER THREE:THE FIVE DIMENSIONS OF MISBEHAVIOUR
3.1 Introduction 54
3.2 The five dimensions of workplace misbehaviour 55
3.2.1 Conflict and co-operation and the labour process 55
3.2.2 Alternative resistance strategies 57
3.2.3 Survival strategies 62
3.2.4 Informal workplace custom and practice 66
3.2.5 Cultural subversion strategies and sexual
misbehaviour 69
3.2.6 External strategies to deal with conflict 72
3.3 Misbehaviour and conflict 75
3.3.1 Aligning misbehaviour with a labour process
model of conflict 75
3.3.2 Summary of unexplained aspects of
misbehaviour 79
3.3.3 Conclusions 80
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CHAPTER FOUR:THEORY AND MISBEHAVIOUR
4.1 Introduction 82
4.2 Labour process analysis 83
4.2.1 Main themes of labour process analysis 84
4.2.2 Management control and labour process analysis 85
4.2.3 Thompson’s (1989) core theory 89
4.2.4 Recent research in to management control 90
4.2.5 Summary of labour process analysis 93
4.3 A social identity approach 97
4.3.1 Social identity theory 99
4.3.2 Social identity-related strategies and
misbehaviour 107
4.3.3 High and low status within low status groups 110
4.3.4 Social identity theory: One last caveat 111
4.3.5 Self-categorization theory 112
4.3.6 A social identity approach in an organizational
context 116
4.3.7 Summary and limitations of a social identity
approach 117
4.4 Combining orthodox labour process analysis and a
social identity approach 120
4.4.1 Using labour process analysis and a social identity
approach together 123
4.4.2 Summary 123
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CHAPTER FIVE:RESEARCHING WORKPLACE MISBEHAVIOUR
5.1 Introduction 126
5.2 Aims and objectives of research 126
5.3 The importance of research design 129
5.3.1 Epistemological considerations 130
5.3.2 Ontological considerations 134
5.3.3 Conclusions 136
5.4 Previous research on misbehaviour and deciding
a research approach 137
5.4.1 Evaluation and conclusions 143
5.4.2 Summary 149
5.5 Research method, technique and approach 149
5.5.1 Case study method 150
5.5.2 Covert participant observation 153
5.5.3 Covert interviewing 156
5.5.4 Covert use of documentary evidence 158
5.5.5 Research ethics and a covert approach 160
5.5.6 Conclusions 164
5.6 Fieldwork and data 165
5.6.1 Access and fieldnotes 165
5.6.2 Analysing and presenting data 168
5.7 Summary 170
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CHAPTER SIX:DATA COLLECTION AND THE RESEARCHER
6.1 Introduction 172
6.2 Details of fieldwork 172
6.2.1 General details 172
6.2.2 Gaining access to organizations 175
6.2.3 Gaining access to work groups 181
6.2.4 Taking notes in the field 184
6.2.5 Leaving the field 187
6.3 Summary 190
CHAPTER SEVEN:ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXTS AND MISBEHAVIOUR
7.1 Introduction 191
7.2 FoodCo 192
7.2.1 FoodCo the company 192
7.2.2 The labour process of FoodCo’s hygiene function 193
7.2.3 Hygienists and group memberships 198
7.2.4 Social relations on the shopfloor at FoodCo 202
7.2.5 Controlling hygienists 205
7.2.6 Misbehaviour at FoodCo 209
7.2.7 Summary of FoodCo 212
7.3 HotelRest 214
7.3.1 HotelRest and HotelCorp 214
7.3.2 The labour process at HotelRest 216
7.3.3 Waiting staff and group memberships 220
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7.3.4 Social relations on the shopfloor at HotelRest 224
7.3.5 Controlling waiting staff 227
7.3.6 Misbehaviour at HotelRest 230
7.3.7 Summary of HotelRest 233
7.4 BargainChain 234
7.4.1 BargainChain the company 234
7.4.2 The labour process at BargainChain 238
7.4.3 Front-line staff and group memberships 240
7.4.4 Social relations on the shopfloor at BargainChain 244
7.4.5 Controlling front-line staff 248
7.4.6 Misbehaviour at BargainChain 250
7.4.7 Summary of BargainChain 253
7.5 SubCallco 254
7.5.1 SubCallco the company 254
7.5.2 The labour process of SubCallco’s HS Bank
campaign 258
7.5.3 Call operators and group memberships 262
7.5.4 Social relations on the shopfloor at SubCallco 268
7.5.5 Controlling call operatives 271
7.5.6 Call operator misbehaviour 273
7.5.7 Summary of SubCallco 279
7.6 Summary 280
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