Qualitative Methods in Trans-Qualitative Methods in Trans-disciplinary Socio-economic disciplinary Socio-economic

ResearchResearch

Professor Linda McKie Professor Linda McKie www.organisationsworkandcare.orgwww.organisationsworkandcare.org

AimAim

Case study: Case study: Policies & practices of Policies & practices of ‘care’ in business organisations ‘care’ in business organisations

3 year project3 year project Conceptual backgroundConceptual background Research design Research design

Team from 3 disciplines Team from 3 disciplines Cultural geographyCultural geography Marketing & management Marketing & management Sociology Sociology

The ContextThe Context

Socio-economic ‘contracts’:Socio-economic ‘contracts’: EU Knowledge EconomiesEU Knowledge Economies Innovation Innovation Labour market trends Labour market trends Flexicurity Flexicurity

IHRM trends; policies & practicesIHRM trends; policies & practices Interdependencies: Interdependencies: economies, economies,

business, householdsbusiness, households RecessionRecession

Conceptual FrameworksConceptual Frameworks

Caringscapes Caringscapes McKie, L., Gregory, S. Bowlby, S. (2002) Shadow Times: McKie, L., Gregory, S. Bowlby, S. (2002) Shadow Times:

The Temporal and Spatial Frameworks and Experiences of The Temporal and Spatial Frameworks and Experiences of Caring and Working. Caring and Working. SociologySociology, 36, 4, 897-924. , 36, 4, 897-924.

Briefing paper. See Briefing paper. See www.crfr.ac.uk

Carescapes Carescapes McKie, L., Gregory, S. and Bowlby, S. (2004) Starting Well: McKie, L., Gregory, S. and Bowlby, S. (2004) Starting Well:

Gender, Care and Health in Family Context. Gender, Care and Health in Family Context. SociologySociology, 38 , 38 (3): 593-611.(3): 593-611.

Organisation Carescapes Organisation Carescapes McKie, L., Hearn, J., Bowlby, S., Smith, A. and Hogg, G. McKie, L., Hearn, J., Bowlby, S., Smith, A. and Hogg, G.

(2008) (2008) Organisation Carescapes: Researching Organisation Carescapes: Researching Organisations, Work and CareOrganisations, Work and Care. Helsinki, Finland: Hanken . Helsinki, Finland: Hanken School of Economics Working PaperSchool of Economics Working Paper

Trans-disciplinary OriginsTrans-disciplinary Origins

Care Care is a multi-faceted term that can is a multi-faceted term that can combine feelings of concern and anxiety combine feelings of concern and anxiety for others alongside the provision of for others alongside the provision of practical labour and tasks that attend to a practical labour and tasks that attend to a person’s needs (Cancian and Oliker 2000: person’s needs (Cancian and Oliker 2000: 2). 2). Ethics, philosophy, sociologyEthics, philosophy, sociology

Most discussions on care emphasise either Most discussions on care emphasise either the social policy and welfare context; work-the social policy and welfare context; work-life balance, or organisational well-being life balance, or organisational well-being and occupational health (Sevenhuijsen, and occupational health (Sevenhuijsen, 1998). 1998). Business, economics social policyBusiness, economics social policy

Trans-disciplinary OriginsTrans-disciplinary Origins

CultureCulture refers to the beliefs of the refers to the beliefs of the organisations and their symbolic and organisations and their symbolic and practical representation through a practical representation through a range of activities. range of activities. Organisation studies, Organisation studies, sociologysociology

Cultures of care; Cultures of care; identify values (how identify values (how organisations specify what people organisations specify what people ought to do through policies and ought to do through policies and practices) and norms (the rules of practices) and norms (the rules of behaviour that create parameters for behaviour that create parameters for behaviour) (Wilson, 2001) behaviour) (Wilson, 2001)

Exploring a conceptual framework in empirical research ....

Management & BusinessManagement & Business

The relevance and potential for The relevance and potential for organisational culturesorganisational cultures to endorse to endorse the concept of care across a range the concept of care across a range of employment policies, is critical to of employment policies, is critical to working relations and thus, working relations and thus, productivityproductivity

The notion of The notion of organisational healthorganisational health is is apposite in any examination of the apposite in any examination of the complex relationship between complex relationship between organisational cultures, productivity organisational cultures, productivity and the health and well-being of and the health and well-being of employees and companiesemployees and companies

Organisation Carescapes Organisation Carescapes

Organisation carescapes Organisation carescapes are not static: are not static: thus planned ‘routes’ (policies and thus planned ‘routes’ (policies and practices) must sometimes be changed or practices) must sometimes be changed or amended in response to shifts in public amended in response to shifts in public policies (e.g. the introduction of disability policies (e.g. the introduction of disability rights legislation, and flexible working rights legislation, and flexible working guidelines), the actions of employers or, in guidelines), the actions of employers or, in the case of family life, personal events such the case of family life, personal events such as the arrival of a first or subsequent child. as the arrival of a first or subsequent child.

Organisation Carescapes (2) Organisation Carescapes (2)

These issues also change in responseThese issues also change in responseto the influences of othersto the influences of others(governments, EU, business, (governments, EU, business, organisations) and changes in mobility, organisations) and changes in mobility, communication & institutional communication & institutional organisations that confront individuals organisations that confront individuals and companies (McKie et al., 2008)and companies (McKie et al., 2008)

Research Design Research Design

Organisations, Work & CareOrganisations, Work & Care Economic & Social Research CouncilEconomic & Social Research Council Multi-methodMulti-method Stage 1; what’s care? Oh that!Stage 1; what’s care? Oh that! Stage 2; unpacking the conceptStage 2; unpacking the concept

Equalities & diversityEqualities & diversity Health & well-beingHealth & well-being Rights & responsibilities Rights & responsibilities

Stage 3; Critical Incident Techniques Stage 3; Critical Incident Techniques (CIT) interviews. (CIT) interviews. Incidents: age, discipline, Incidents: age, discipline, flexible working, training, well-beingflexible working, training, well-being

Epistemological Basis Epistemological Basis

Interpretative drawing uponInterpretative drawing upon Critical theoryCritical theory Feminist theoryFeminist theory Structuralism Structuralism Postcolonialism Postcolonialism

Mapping (context), interviews Mapping (context), interviews (depth)(depth)

Research ProcessResearch Process

Stage 1: Exploratory interviews Stage 1: Exploratory interviews Reflect UK economy. 10 EOs, 6 Reflect UK economy. 10 EOs, 6

SMEs SMEs Care as an absent-presenceCare as an absent-presence Accommodating careAccommodating care Trade-offs. Care and Trade-offs. Care and

organisational goalsorganisational goals

Research Process (2)Research Process (2)

Stage 2: Survey Stage 2: Survey Equality and diversity; Equality and diversity; parental parental

leave to religious observanceleave to religious observance Health & well-being; Health & well-being; occupation occupation

health to bullying and harassment health to bullying and harassment Responsibilities & rights; Responsibilities & rights; working working

hours to staff development and training hours to staff development and training

103 EOs103 EOs

Research Process (3) Research Process (3)

Surveillance & control Surveillance & control Base line Base line Working hours, sickness Working hours, sickness

Retention Retention Appraisal Appraisal Maternity/paternity leaveMaternity/paternity leave

Employer of choice Employer of choice Skill shortages Skill shortages Reputation Reputation

Self fulfilment Self fulfilment Outward facing EOsOutward facing EOs Leave of absence / pro bono Leave of absence / pro bono

Research Process (4) Research Process (4)

Critical incident technique Critical incident technique Describe the experience or situation Describe the experience or situation Outline what they, or the people Outline what they, or the people

observed, did observed, did What was their assessment of this? What was their assessment of this? What would they have liked to happen? What would they have liked to happen? Overall, what did they conclude?Overall, what did they conclude?

Age, Discipline, Flexible Age, Discipline, Flexible working, Training, Well-being working, Training, Well-being

Research Process (4) Research Process (4)

Themes to emerge Themes to emerge Defining ‘care’ and caring in the workplaceDefining ‘care’ and caring in the workplace Boundaries within and betweenBoundaries within and between work /non-workwork /non-work Knowledge and use of policiesKnowledge and use of policies - access, support - access, support

to use, non useto use, non use Inter-sectionalitiesInter-sectionalities - gender and identities; age - gender and identities; age

and identities and gender, age and sector and identities and gender, age and sector CulturesCultures and changing nature of these as and changing nature of these as

recession becomes apparentrecession becomes apparent Organisational health and well-beingOrganisational health and well-being

Conclusions Conclusions Organisation Carescape look like... Organisation Carescape look like...

The history of EO, or the unit analysed such as The history of EO, or the unit analysed such as department or team. The past experiences of department or team. The past experiences of workers workers

Contemporary context and experiences. Policies Contemporary context and experiences. Policies and practices and practices

A summation of the dominant culture and its A summation of the dominant culture and its implications implications

Assessment of futures; aspirations and Assessment of futures; aspirations and contextual constraints and opportunities. contextual constraints and opportunities. Forecasting and speculations about EOs and Forecasting and speculations about EOs and people. people.

Conclusions (2) Conclusions (2)

Methods Methods Exploratory stageExploratory stage CIT interviews CIT interviews

Conceptual Conceptual Social moral economy Social moral economy

Fairness Fairness Gender stereotypes Gender stereotypes Workplace pressure & support Workplace pressure & support Labour processLabour process

Political rhetoric Political rhetoric