Joanne Martin – författare

Despite the surge of interest over the last decade in cultural phenomena in organizations, researchers of widely differing disciplinary backgrounds, epistemologies, methodological preferences, and political ideologies continue to disagree about fundamental issues--with good reason. Consolidating a diverse array of theoretical and empirical studies into an analytical framework that clarifies and challenges the assumptions that have guided organizational culture research, this pathbreaking book delineates three competing perspectives and offers a way out of the conceptual chaos caused by conflicts among these viewpoints. This analysis acknowledges incommensurabilities without creating pressures toward assimilation, while offering insights unavailable to any single perspective. Exploring tcpks to major intellectual developments (postmodernism, feminist theory, environmental dependence) within and outside of organizational theory, Cultures in Organizations brings a critical, interdisciplinary perspective to the field. This theoretical approach has an extensive empirical base, drawing on studies of a wide variety of organizations, including a large multi-national electronics corporation, the Peace Corps, universities, small non-profit organizations, and several large and small private-sector companies. By alternating between theoretical abstractions and studies of particular organizations, Joanne Martin delineates and bridges divergent approaches to the study of cultures in organizations, offering a breadth and an openness to multiple viewpoints not available elsewhere.

Despite the surge of interest over the last decade in cultural phenomena in organizations, researchers of widely differing disciplinary backgrounds, epistemologies, methodological preferences, and political ideologies continue to disagree about fundamental issues--with good reason. Consolidating a diverse array of theoretical and empirical studies into an analytical framework that clarifies and challenges the assumptions that have guided organizational culture research, this pathbreaking book delineates three competing perspectives and offers a way out of the conceptual chaos caused by conflicts among these viewpoints. This analysis acknowledges incommensurabilities without creating pressures toward assimilation, while offering insights unavailable to any single perspective. Exploring tcpks to major intellectual developments (postmodernism, feminist theory, environmental dependence) within and outside of organizational theory, Cultures in Organizations brings a critical, interdisciplinary perspective to the field. This theoretical approach has an extensive empirical base, drawing on studies of a wide variety of organizations, including a large multi-national electronics corporation, the Peace Corps, universities, small non-profit organizations, and several large and small private-sector companies. By alternating between theoretical abstractions and studies of particular organizations, Joanne Martin delineates and bridges divergent approaches to the study of cultures in organizations, offering a breadth and an openness to multiple viewpoints not available elsewhere.

Tort reform is a favorite cause for many business leaders and right-leaning politicians, who contend that out-of-control lawsuits throttle growth and inflate costs, particularly in healthcare. Less is said about how such reforms might affect the ability of individuals to recover damages for injuries suffered through another party''s negligence. On that count, Texas—where efforts at tort reform have been energetic and successful—provides an opportunity to appraise the outcome for plaintiffs and their lawyers, an opportunity that Stephen Daniels and Joanne Martin take full advantage of in this timely and provocative work. Because much of the action on tort reform takes place on the state level, a look at the experience of Texas, a large and important state with a very active plaintiff''s bar, is especially instructive. Plaintiffs'' lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, collecting compensation for themselves as a percentage only if they win. Reduce lawyers'' ability to use contingency fees as compensation, as tort reform inevitably does, and you reduce their economic incentive to do this work. Daniels'' and Martin''s study bears this out. Drawing on over 20 years of research, extensive surveys and interviews, the authors explore the impact the tort reform movement in Texas has had on the ability of plaintiffs to obtain judgments--in short on private citizens'' meaningful access to the full power of the law. In the course of their analysis, the authors explain the history and economics behind the workings of the plaintiffs'' bar. They explore how lawyers select cases and clients, as well as the referral process that moves cases among lawyers and allows for specialization. They also examine the effects of medical malpractice reforms on plaintiffs'' lawyers—reforms that often close the courthouse doors to certain types of people—tort reform''s "hidden victims." Plaintiffs'' lawyers are the civil justice system''s gatekeepers, providing meaningful access to the rights the law provides. Daniels''s and Martin''s thorough and fair-minded work offers a unique and sobering perspective on how tort reform can curtail this access—and thus, the legal rights of American citizens.

Once again setting the standard for the field, the editors of Organizational Culture (Sage, 1985) have reassembled to create a new exploration in Reframing Organizational Culture. In this engaging volume, the contributors continue the ongoing process of discovery and invention, the interaction between investigator and the subject of inquiry. The editors have included a variety of frames as tools that allow readers to examine any empirical piece on organizational culture on its own merits--as good research--while at the same time, permit viewing it from other perspectives as well. How is organizational culture studied? To further understanding of what goes into studying organizational culture, an early, well-known exemplar of cultural research by William Foote Whyte is presented, along with commentaries by four currently active researchers plus a final rebuttal by Whyte. Enlightening and stimulating, the exploration of epistemology, rather than specific methods in Reframing Organizational Culture, allows for discovery and further research into organizational culture. Combined with a unique emphasis on process, this volume also includes reflections from the editors, pointing out their values, biases, beliefs, perceptions, and experiences in research, and lending a human dimension to the research process. This creative synthesis is essential reading for academics, researchers, and professionals in the areas of organization studies and management. "The editors of Reframing Organizational Culture skillfully concocted a spicy and satisfying entrée that goes beyond their first effort (Organizational Culture, Sage, 1985) to evaluate their topic and its contributions, to date and potentially. . . . The examples are generally colorful and well displayed, ranging from Barley's look at funeral homes ('Semiotics and The Study of Occupational and Organizational Culture') to Van Maanen's reflections on The Magic Kingdom ('The Smile Factory: Work at Disneyworld'). . . . Part One . . . presents a thorough bibliography. . . . Trice's 'Comments and Discussion' provides balance and argues for quantification as a means of 'keeping the flame alive.' . . . Part Three, 'An Epilogue And a Closing.' is reflective and inspirational. . . . Reframing Organizational Culture left me nourished, stimulated, and encouraged. The book's numerous components flow smoothly and logically, aided by strong transitions and integrative passages. Given the editors' objective to 'reframe' rather than 'revisit' organizational culture, I contend they succeeded. The content and extensive bibliography render it an excellent supplement for the academic audience: For those already in the field, the book provides a thorough update and challenge to the cutting edge; for those new to the field, the book offers a balanced and encouraging overview without intimidation. . . . The merits of Reframing Organizational Culture to the practitioner audience stem from the concise writing and vivid examples, particularly in Part One and most of Part Two." --Journal of Management

Organizational Culture provides a sweeping interdisciplinary overview of the organizational culture literature, showing how and why researchers have disagreed about such fundamental questions as: What is organizational culture? What are the major theoretical perspectives used to understand cultures in organizations? How can a researcher decipher the political interests inherent in research that claims to be political neutral -- merely "descriptive"?

Expert author Joanne Martin examines a variety of conflicting ways to study cultures in organizations, including different theoretical orientations, political ideologies (managerial, critical, and apparently neutral); methods (qualitative, quantitative, and hybrid approaches), and styles of writing about culture (ranging from traditional to postmodern and experimental). In addition, she offers a guide for those who might want to study culture themselves, addressing such issues as: What qualitative, quantitative, and hybrid methods can be used to study culture? What standards are used when reviewers evaluate these various types of research? What innovative ways of writing about culture have been introduced? And finally, what are the most important unanswered questions for future organizational culture researchers?

Intended for graduate students and established scholars who need to understand, value, and utilize highly divergent approaches to the study of culture. The book will also be useful for researchers who do not study culture, but who are interested in the ways political interests affect scholarly writing, the ways critical and managerial approaches to theory differ, the use and justification of qualitative methods in domains where quantitative methods are the norm.

Organizational Culture provides a sweeping interdisciplinary overview of the organizational culture literature, showing how and why researchers have disagreed about such fundamental questions as: What is organizational culture? What are the major theoretical perspectives used to understand cultures in organizations? How can a researcher decipher the political interests inherent in research that claims to be political neutral -- merely "descriptive"?

Expert author Joanne Martin examines a variety of conflicting ways to study cultures in organizations, including different theoretical orientations, political ideologies (managerial, critical, and apparently neutral); methods (qualitative, quantitative, and hybrid approaches), and styles of writing about culture (ranging from traditional to postmodern and experimental). In addition, she offers a guide for those who might want to study culture themselves, addressing such issues as: What qualitative, quantitative, and hybrid methods can be used to study culture? What standards are used when reviewers evaluate these various types of research? What innovative ways of writing about culture have been introduced? And finally, what are the most important unanswered questions for future organizational culture researchers?

Intended for graduate students and established scholars who need to understand, value, and utilize highly divergent approaches to the study of culture. The book will also be useful for researchers who do not study culture, but who are interested in the ways political interests affect scholarly writing, the ways critical and managerial approaches to theory differ, the use and justification of qualitative methods in domains where quantitative methods are the norm.