Discussion: View Thread

  • 1.  Who done it? The person or the organization?

    Posted 02-02-2009 18:32

    Dear <st1:place w:st="on">OB</st1:place> colleagues:

     

    I write seeking references to theory or empirical evidence regarding construal of employee actions as being individual or organizational in nature.   For instance, it is common for the news media and others to report that an organization (e.g., Exxon-Mobile, Microsoft, the White House, US military) did X when in reality it was a specific person (e.g., Bill Gates, the president) who did X.   

     

    Although I have seen mentions in papers that this tendency is more common when the actions are performed by managers rather than front line employees, I am not sure how to find them again.  If anyone could get me started with theoretical terms (i.e., XYZ theory) or specific references, I'd be much obliged.

     

    Thank you in advance,

    Jason

     

    Jason R. Pierce

    Doctoral Candidate

    Organizational Behavior

    <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Kelley</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">School</st1:placename></st1:place> of Business

    (812) 855-2705 (o)

    (404) 729-7811 (c)

    jrpierce@indiana.edu

     

    " To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man." - Bill S.

     



  • 2.  Who done it? The person or the organization?

    Posted 02-03-2009 01:54
    Hi,

    Staw has a paper of interest


    Staw, B. (1991) Dressing up like an organization: When psychological theories can explain organizational action. Journal of Management, 17(4), 805-819.

    Mark Fichman

    Pierce, Jason R wrote:
    3FDB14706544CA4F8A0FD0D984C2EB3005DC6C2186@iu-mssg-mbx05.ads.iu.edu" type="cite">

    Dear <st1:place w:st="on">OB</st1:place> colleagues:

     

    I write seeking references to theory or empirical evidence regarding construal of employee actions as being individual or organizational in nature.   For instance, it is common for the news media and others to report that an organization (e.g., Exxon-Mobile, Microsoft, the White House, US military) did X when in reality it was a specific person (e.g., Bill Gates, the president) who did X.   

     

    Although I have seen mentions in papers that this tendency is more common when the actions are performed by managers rather than front line employees, I am not sure how to find them again.  If anyone could get me started with theoretical terms (i.e., XYZ theory) or specific references, I'd be much obliged.

     

    Thank you in advance,

    Jason

     

    Jason R. Pierce

    Doctoral Candidate

    Organizational Behavior

    <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Kelley</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">School</st1:placename></st1:place> of Business

    (812) 855-2705 (o)

    (404) 729-7811 (c)

    jrpierce@indiana.edu

     

    " To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man." - Bill S.

     


    --  Mark Fichman     Tepper School of Business    2160 CMU-Q Building    Qatar Campus    Qatar Foundation    Carnegie-Mellon University    Doha, Qatar     mf4f@cmu.edu    974-554-8491      Home page URL: http://www.gsia.cmu.edu/andrew/mf4f/home.html


  • 3.  Who done it? The person or the organization?

    Posted 02-03-2009 03:24
    There are quite a few publications, Jason around this issue in studies over corporate corruption. Here is one that refers you to other books and articles: Susan Long (2008). The perverse organisation and its deadly sins. London: Karnac.
    Good luck with your research and lots of courage.It isn't the easiest subject to study.
    Leopold Vansina, Ph.D. Prof. emeritus
    -----Original Message-----
    From: Organizational Behavior Division Listserv [mailto:OB@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU]On Behalf Of Pierce, Jason R
    Sent: 03 February 2009 00:32
    To: OB@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
    Subject: Who done it? The person or the organization?

    Dear <st1:place w:st="on">OB</st1:place> colleagues:

     

    I write seeking references to theory or empirical evidence regarding construal of employee actions as being individual or organizational in nature.   For instance, it is common for the news media and others to report that an organization (e.g., Exxon-Mobile, Microsoft, the White House, US military) did X when in reality it was a specific person (e.g., Bill Gates, the president) who did X.   

     

    Although I have seen mentions in papers that this tendency is more common when the actions are performed by managers rather than front line employees, I am not sure how to find them again.  If anyone could get me started with theoretical terms (i.e., XYZ theory) or specific references, I'd be much obliged.

     

    Thank you in advance,

    Jason

     

    Jason R. Pierce

    Doctoral Candidate

    Organizational Behavior

    <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Kelley</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">School</st1:placename></st1:place> of Business

    (812) 855-2705 (o)

    (404) 729-7811 (c)

    jrpierce@indiana.edu

     

    " To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man." - Bill S.

     



  • 4.  Who done it? The person or the organization?

    Posted 02-03-2009 03:37
    Dear Jason,
    Romance of Leadership (e.g, Meindl, Ehrlich and Dukerich, 1985) could help. They propose and find that in crisis times, leaders are refered to more often than in normal time in newspapers, PhD dissertations and so on.
    Good luck, Birgit

    Dr. Birgit Schyns
    Reader in Organisational Behaviour
    University of Portsmouth
    Portsmouth Business School
    Richmond Building
    Portland Street
    Portsmouth
    PO1 3DE
    UK
    E-Mail: birgit.schyns@port.ac.uk
    >>> "Pierce, Jason R" <jrpierce@INDIANA.EDU> 03/02/09 3:13 AM >>>
    Dear OB colleagues:

    I write seeking references to theory or empirical evidence regarding construal of employee actions as being individual or organizational in nature. For instance, it is common for the news media and others to report that an organization (e.g., Exxon-Mobile, Microsoft, the White House, US military) did X when in reality it was a specific person (e.g., Bill Gates, the president) who did X.

    Although I have seen mentions in papers that this tendency is more common when the actions are performed by managers rather than front line employees, I am not sure how to find them again. If anyone could get me started with theoretical terms (i.e., XYZ theory) or specific references, I'd be much obliged.

    Thank you in advance,
    Jason

    Jason R. Pierce
    Doctoral Candidate
    Organizational Behavior
    Kelley School of Business
    (812) 855-2705 (o)
    (404) 729-7811 (c)
    jrpierce@indiana.edu<mailto:jrpierce@indiana.edu>

    "To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man." - Bill S.


  • 5.  Who done it? The person or the organization?

    Posted 02-11-2009 16:47
    Jason,
     
    You might also look at Tanya Menon's paper that showed that media reports of scandals in North America tended to focus on individuals, but in Asia tended to focus on organizations.
     
    Menon, T., Morris, M., Chiu, C., & Hong, Y. (1999, May). Culture and the construal of agency: Attribution to individual versus group dispositions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 76(5), 701-717.
     

    Michael D. Johnson

    Assistant Professor

    Department of Management and Organization

    Michael G. Foster School of Business

    University of Washington

    Box 353200

    Seattle, WA 98195

    206.616.2756

    mdj3@u.washington.edu

    http://faculty.washington.edu/mdj3/mjohnson/


    From: Organizational Behavior Division Listserv [mailto:OB@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU] On Behalf Of Pierce, Jason R
    Sent: Monday, February 02, 2009 3:32 PM
    To: OB@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
    Subject: Who done it? The person or the organization?

    Dear <st1:place w:st="on">OB</st1:place> colleagues:

     

    I write seeking references to theory or empirical evidence regarding construal of employee actions as being individual or organizational in nature.   For instance, it is common for the news media and others to report that an organization (e.g., Exxon-Mobile, Microsoft, the White House, US military) did X when in reality it was a specific person (e.g., Bill Gates, the president) who did X.   

     

    Although I have seen mentions in papers that this tendency is more common when the actions are performed by managers rather than front line employees, I am not sure how to find them again.  If anyone could get me started with theoretical terms (i.e., XYZ theory) or specific references, I'd be much obliged.

     

    Thank you in advance,

    Jason

     

    Jason R. Pierce

    Doctoral Candidate

    Organizational Behavior

    <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Kelley</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">School</st1:placename></st1:place> of Business

    (812) 855-2705 (o)

    (404) 729-7811 (c)

    jrpierce@indiana.edu

     

    " To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man." - Bill S.