Frame analysis. Sarah Kaplan. I discuss how frame analysis can be conducted using evidence from ethnographic data. The method allows the researcher to take into account process as well as content, look at multiple levels of analysis (individuals, groups, organizations) and incorporate interactions between multiple actors. Frame analysis offers the possibility of a multiplicity of meanings where the question is not "accuracy" per se but how the informants interpret evolving situations. I will also discuss what kinds of cognitive constructs can be derived from ethnographic data and where other methods are more appropriate for other cognitive constructs (such as attention).
Rhetorical analysis. Loizos Heracleous. I will address the nature of rhetorical analysis and the analytical directions that such an approach entails. I will address traditional Aristotelian rhetorical principles (means of persuasion, enthymeme analysis), as well as more recent developments encompassed by rhetorical criticism such as narrative analysis and metaphorical analysis. I will use examples of rhetorical analysis to illustrate the application of some of these analytical principles and the insights that may be gained from them in relation to strategy and organization issues.
Hermeneutics. Mukti Khaire & Dan Wadhwani. We discuss hermeneutics as an approach to studying meaning in strategy and organization. Hermeneutics is a body of theory and methods that pertains to how meaning arises out of text and posits that the meaning of a text is fundamentally based on its contexts. Hermeneutics is in turn both a relational and multi-level construct; a sentence, when treated as text, cannot be understood without taking into account the book in which it is written, as context, and a book, when understood as the text, cannot be understood outside the cultural and linguistic context in which it is produced. As a practical matter, hermeneutic approaches suggest a process of interpreting texts through what is termed the "hermeneutic circle," a process of moving back and forth between text and their increasingly broader contexts until stable interpretations are found. Hermeneutic approaches are particularly appropriate for research that emphasize the contextual basis of strategy, as embedded in history and culture, and is not particularly conducive to coding or other structural views of language and discourse.
Narrative analysis. Eero Vaara. Narrative analysis has become increasingly popular in strategic management, but systematic empirical analyses are still surprisingly scarce. Drawing from a forthcoming paper in the Academy of Management Annals (Vaara, Sonenshein & Boje, 2016), I will start by elaborating on the characteristics of organizational narratives to provide a conceptual framework for the use of narrative analysis in strategy process and practice research. I elaborate on three key approaches to narrative analysis: realist, interpretative and poststructuralist approaches. This will be followed by a short reflection on issues that warrant attention in future research as well as new research opportunities.
Multi-level discourse analysis. Stine Grodal & Steve Kahl. We introduce multi-level discourse analysis as a method to study strategy questions (see, Kahl & Grodal, 2015, SMJ). Multi-level discourse analysis focuses on analyzing texts (e.g. writing, verbal or material accounts) that are produced in and around organizations. We outline a five-step process for how to analyze texts. This text-based approach builds off of Fairclough's (1992) multi-level discourse method, which proposes that researchers decompose text into its semantic relationships (intra-textual), measure textual relationships (inter-textual), and assess the influence of broader cultural themes on the content and structure of the text (contextual). We outline how to build a comprehensive data sample and conduct analysis at each level.
Vocabularies. Willie Ocasio. I introduce the vocabulary perspective and its focus on vocabulary structure - word frequencies, word to word relationships, and word to example relationships - as determinants of attention, culture and meaning in organizations, institutions, as well as strategic practices and discourse. I discuss both the conceptual underpinning of the vocabulary perspective as well as alternative methods for measuring vocabulary structure. I provide examples of the study of vocabulary structure in the context of business models.
2:25-3:15 Small Group Discussion. We will break out in groups to address the question: "How can this particularly approach to analyzing discourse help to achieve new understanding of various mainstream strategy issues?" At 3:00PM, participants can switch sessions in order to be able to explore multiple methods. At the end of the session, each small group summarize their conclusions onto a memo board.
3:15-3:25. Short break.
3:25-3:50. Wrap-up: A panel consisting of a representative from each small-group will share a take-away with the rest of the audience. This wrap-up will focus on: 1) Research opportunities and gaps in the literature, 2) Methods for applying discourse analysis to strategy questions.
References
Fairclough, N. (1992). Discourse and social change. Cambridge, Polity
Kahl, S. J., & Grodal, S. (2016). Discursive strategies and radical technological change: Multilevel discourse analysis of the early computer (1947–1958). Strategic Management Journal, 37(1), 149-166.
Vaara, E., Sonenshein, S., & Boje, D. (2016). Narratives as Sources of Stability and Change in Organizations: Approaches and Directions for Future Research. The Academy of Management Annals, 10(1), 495-560.