Myths, stories, and folklore are part of the fabric and life of all organizations, enabling us to understand, identify, and communicate the character of the organization - its ambitions, conflicts, and peculiarities. Drawing on extensive fieldwork of storytelling in five organizations, this book argues that stories open valuable windows into the emotional and symbolic lives of organizations. By collecting stories in different organizations, by listening and comparing different accounts, by investigating how narratives are constructed around specific events, by examining which events in an...

Each chapter of the book takes as its starting point a myth, a legend, a story or a fable and explores its contemporary relevance for a world of globalization, organizations and consumerism. Each contributor is inspired by a relatively short but rich text which is then used as a springboard for an analysis of contemporary social and organizational realities. The idea behind this book is that by looking at contemporary society through the prism of pre-modern narratives, certain features emerge in sharp relief, while others are found to be entrenched in societies across the ages. The texts that...

Each chapter of the book takes as its starting point a myth, a legend, a story or a fable and explores its contemporary relevance for a world of globalization, organizations and consumerism. Each contributor is inspired by a relatively short but rich text which is then used as a springboard for an analysis of contemporary social and organizational realities. The idea behind this book is that by looking at contemporary society through the prism of pre-modern narratives, certain features emerge in sharp relief, while others are found to be entrenched in societies across the ages. The texts that...

Cynicism began as a school of philosophy that was largely inspired by Socrates and often decried by popular commentators as a social pathology, a nihilistic rebellion against the foundations of civilization. Modern definitions of the cynic describe an individual who is negative and sarcastic, violently opposed to established authority and social convention, and dedicated to existentialism. This book attempts to vindicate cynicism, arguing that it is both a progressive approach to social dilemmas and an enlightened understanding of the human condition. Chapter One establishes the foundations...

Organizing Words presents a series of essays on some 220 widely used--and much debated--terms in the social sciences, and organization studies. Each essay explores the meanings and uses of the word; and also the controversies they have sparked. The book aims to be a first port of call for students, researchers and scholars who wish to familiarize themselves with these key ideas and use them in their own work.
The book is neither an encyclopaedia nor a dictionary, but a thesaurus. As such it combines both the original meaning of a thesaurus as a treasure trove, with its more contemporary...

Organizing Words presents a series of essays on some 220 widely used--and much debated--terms in the social sciences, and organization studies. Each essay explores the meanings and uses of the word; and also the controversies they have sparked. The book aims to be a first port of call for students, researchers and scholars who wish to familiarize themselves with these key ideas and use them in their own work.
The book is neither an encyclopaedia nor a dictionary, but a thesaurus. As such it combines both the original meaning of a thesaurus as a treasure trove, with its more contemporary...

This book is well loved by students and lecturers for its accessible, conversational tone and insightful real-life examples introducing the study of organizations and organizational behavior. Stephen Fineman, Yiannis Gabriel and David Sims, eminent academics in the field, cover a wealth of key concepts, research and literature leaving students informed and engaged. The Fourth Edition builds on the strengths of previous editions, to provide you with a textbook that continues to stand out from the rest.

'The Unmanageable Consumer has long been one of my favorite books in the sociology of consumption. This long overdue third edition has updated and revised the basic argument in many ways. Most importantly, it now offers a new chapter on the consumer as worker or, more generally, the prosumer. Assign it to your classes (I have...and will again) and read it for your edification.' - George Ritzer, Distinguished University Professor, University of Maryland, USA

Western-style consumerism is often presented as unstoppable, yet its costs mount and...

This book argues that we are currently witnessing not merely a decline in the quality of social science research, but the proliferation of meaningless research, of no value to society, and modest value to its authors - apart from securing employment and promotion.

The explosion of published outputs, at least in social science, creates a noisy, cluttered environment which makes meaningful research difficult, as different voices compete to capture the limelight even briefly. Older, more significant contributions are easily neglected, as the premium is to write and publish, not read and...