Qualitative Methods in Trans-disciplinary Socio-economic Research

1. Qualitative Methods in Trans-disciplinary Socio-economic Research Professor Linda McKie www.organisationsworkandcare.org

2. Aim • Case study: Policies & practices of ‘care’ in business organisations • 3 year project • Conceptual background • Research design • Team from 3 disciplines • Cultural geography • Marketing & management • Sociology

3. The Context • Socio-economic ‘contracts’: • EU Knowledge Economies • Innovation • Labour market trends • Flexicurity • IHRM trends; policies & practices • Interdependencies: economies, business, households • Recession

4. Conceptual Frameworks • Caringscapes • McKie, L., Gregory, S. Bowlby, S. (2002) Shadow Times: The Temporal and Spatial Frameworks and Experiences of Caring and Working. Sociology, 36, 4, 897-924. • Briefing paper. See www.crfr.ac.uk • Carescapes • McKie, L., Gregory, S. and Bowlby, S. (2004) Starting Well: Gender, Care and Health in Family Context. Sociology, 38 (3): 593-611. • Organisation Carescapes • McKie, L., Hearn, J., Bowlby, S., Smith, A. and Hogg, G. (2008) Organisation Carescapes: Researching Organisations, Work and Care. Helsinki, Finland: Hanken School of Economics Working Paper

5. Trans-disciplinary Origins • Care is a multi-faceted term that can combine feelings of concern and anxiety for others alongside the provision of practical labour and tasks that attend to a person’s needs (Cancian and Oliker 2000: 2). Ethics, philosophy, sociology • Most discussions on care emphasise either the social policy and welfare context; work-life balance, or organisational well-being and occupational health (Sevenhuijsen, 1998). Business, economics social policy

6. Trans-disciplinary Origins • Culture refers to the beliefs of the organisations and their symbolic and practical representation through a range of activities. Organisation studies, sociology • Cultures of care; identify values (how organisations specify what people ought to do through policies and practices) and norms (the rules of behaviour that create parameters for behaviour) (Wilson, 2001) • Exploring a conceptual framework in empirical research ....

7. Management & Business • The relevance and potential for organisational cultures to endorse the concept of care across a range of employment policies, is critical to working relations and thus, productivity • The notion of organisational health is apposite in any examination of the complex relationship between organisational cultures, productivity and the health and well-being of employees and companies

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

9. Organisation Carescapes (2) These issues also change in response to the influences of others (governments, EU, business, organisations) and changes in mobility, communication & institutional organisations that confront individuals and companies (McKie et al., 2008)

10. Research Design • Organisations, Work & Care • Economic & Social Research Council • Multi-method • Stage 1; what’s care? Oh that! • Stage 2; unpacking the concept • Equalities & diversity • Health & well-being • Rights & responsibilities • Stage 3; Critical Incident Techniques (CIT) interviews. Incidents: age, discipline, flexible working, training, well-being

11. Epistemological Basis • Interpretative drawing upon • Critical theory • Feminist theory • Structuralism • Postcolonialism • Mapping (context), interviews (depth)

12. Research Process • Stage 1: Exploratory interviews • Reflect UK economy. 10 EOs, 6 SMEs • Care as an absent-presence • Accommodating care • Trade-offs. Care and organisational goals

13. Research Process (2) • Stage 2: Survey • Equality and diversity; parental leave to religious observance • Health & well-being; occupation health to bullying and harassment • Responsibilities & rights; working hours to staff development and training • 103 EOs

14. Research Process (3) • Surveillance & control • Base line • Working hours, sickness • Retention • Appraisal • Maternity/paternity leave • Employer of choice • Skill shortages • Reputation • Self fulfilment • Outward facing EOs • Leave of absence / pro bono

15. Research Process (4) • Critical incident technique • Describe the experience or situation • Outline what they, or the people observed, did • What was their assessment of this? • What would they have liked to happen? • Overall, what did they conclude? • Age, Discipline, Flexible working, Training, Well-being

16. Research Process (4) • Themes to emerge • Defining ‘care’ and caring in the workplace • Boundaries within and betweenwork /non-work • Knowledge and use of policies - access, support to use, non use • Inter-sectionalities - gender and identities; age and identities and gender, age and sector • Cultures and changing nature of these as recession becomes apparent • Organisational health and well-being

17. Conclusions • Organisation Carescape look like... • The history of EO, or the unit analysed such as department or team. The past experiences of workers • Contemporary context and experiences. Policies and practices • A summation of the dominant culture and its implications • Assessment of futures; aspirations and contextual constraints and opportunities. Forecasting and speculations about EOs and people.

18. Conclusions (2) • Methods • Exploratory stage • CIT interviews • Conceptual • Social moral economy • Fairness • Gender stereotypes • Workplace pressure & support • Labour process • Political rhetoric