Clare Humphries - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
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Papers by Clare Humphries
Sport Management Review, 2017
In this article we propose a theoretical framework for narrative analysis that gives voice to obj... more In this article we propose a theoretical framework for narrative analysis that gives voice to objects in sport organisations. Despite considerable interest in the symbolic and mnemonic potency of some sporting objectsmost notably memorabiliamany organisational objects go unnoticed, whilst little attention has been paid to methods for gathering stories from inanimate objects.[ 1 2 8 _ T D $ D I F F ] We suggest that material objects in sport organisations participate in narrative production and therefore constitute a rich investigative site. We adopt a postsocial approach to narrative methodology where objects are recognised as non-human actors in organisational sense-making, not as narrative repositories that 'contain' stories and memories. A three-domain research framework is developed recommending an approach to eliciting an object narrative within a sport organisation. First, object materiality exposes the significant networks of forces, materials and peopleand therefore episodes and actorsthat engage with and through objects. Second, since people and objects are enmeshed in sequenced, workplace activities, object practice allows organisational agents to define what stories objects can tell whilst objects reciprocally bound the scope of human performance. Third, object biography provides a strategy to map the connections and transitions that occur over the lifecourse of an object, which reveals a changing web of organisational relations.
Organization Management Journal, 2004
Complexity theory is receiving increasing attention in both academic and popular literature as a ... more Complexity theory is receiving increasing attention in both academic and popular literature as a potential management tool. As momentum gathers surrounding its popularity in practical management, complexity theory is poised to become a management 'fad', and potentially an influential paradigm for the future. However, much of the literature concerning complexity theory contains inconsistent terminology and a lack of operationally empirical definitions. This has made it difficult for researchers to specify empirical questions in order to frame complexity research, and for practitioners to acquire the key principles for implementation. It has also opened a Pandora's Box of commentaries which proclaim that complexity theory is a new management panacea. This paper provides a critical account of the utility of complexity theory as a management tool, and concludes that while a number of metaphors and principles might suggest useful ways of thinking about management, the concept is neither new nor a panacea, and practitioners are urged toward caution.
International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing, 2006
Recently, criticisms have been levelled at the status of research into sport fan and sport consum... more Recently, criticisms have been levelled at the status of research into sport fan and sport consumer behaviour. It has been suggested that research must move beyond the description of sport fan motivations and segmentation typologies, and instead examine deeper aspects of behaviour culminating in the evaluation of alternative conceptual frameworks (Funk et al., 2003). This paper introduces an interdisciplinary approach to understanding sport consumer behaviour through the application of the Model of Human Occupation, a stalwart theory of occupational science. From this perspective the term occupation is not used as a proxy for vocation or work, but describes the groups of activities and tasks (such as work, leisure or daily living tasks) that are given order, value and meaning by individuals and culture. This viewpoint might aid in highlighting aspects of sport fandom that remain poorly understood, and is suggestive of new approaches to researching sport consumer behaviour, understanding fans and harnessing their loyalty.
Organization, 2014
In this article, we examine how to give objects a voice in organizational narrative. We track our... more In this article, we examine how to give objects a voice in organizational narrative. We track our encounter with a 914 Xerox copier, a redundant technological object that was scripted into a desired historical narrative within a corporate exhibit. Despite the 914’s apparent mnemonic and institutional efficacy, we questioned whether it might constitute more than a narrative repository. Might material objects in organizations also participate in narrative production? In this article, we advocate a post-social approach to narrative methodology that recognizes objects—such as the 914—as non-human actors in organizational sense-making. After reviewing post-sociality’s central premises, we propose three domains through which an object narrative can be elicited: object materiality, object practices and object biography. First, we suggest that object materiality can highlight the significant, networks of forces, materials and people—and therefore episodes and actors—that engage with and thr...
Sport Management Review, 2017
In this article we propose a theoretical framework for narrative analysis that gives voice to obj... more In this article we propose a theoretical framework for narrative analysis that gives voice to objects in sport organisations. Despite considerable interest in the symbolic and mnemonic potency of some sporting objectsmost notably memorabiliamany organisational objects go unnoticed, whilst little attention has been paid to methods for gathering stories from inanimate objects.[ 1 2 8 _ T D $ D I F F ] We suggest that material objects in sport organisations participate in narrative production and therefore constitute a rich investigative site. We adopt a postsocial approach to narrative methodology where objects are recognised as non-human actors in organisational sense-making, not as narrative repositories that 'contain' stories and memories. A three-domain research framework is developed recommending an approach to eliciting an object narrative within a sport organisation. First, object materiality exposes the significant networks of forces, materials and peopleand therefore episodes and actorsthat engage with and through objects. Second, since people and objects are enmeshed in sequenced, workplace activities, object practice allows organisational agents to define what stories objects can tell whilst objects reciprocally bound the scope of human performance. Third, object biography provides a strategy to map the connections and transitions that occur over the lifecourse of an object, which reveals a changing web of organisational relations.
Organization Management Journal, 2004
Complexity theory is receiving increasing attention in both academic and popular literature as a ... more Complexity theory is receiving increasing attention in both academic and popular literature as a potential management tool. As momentum gathers surrounding its popularity in practical management, complexity theory is poised to become a management 'fad', and potentially an influential paradigm for the future. However, much of the literature concerning complexity theory contains inconsistent terminology and a lack of operationally empirical definitions. This has made it difficult for researchers to specify empirical questions in order to frame complexity research, and for practitioners to acquire the key principles for implementation. It has also opened a Pandora's Box of commentaries which proclaim that complexity theory is a new management panacea. This paper provides a critical account of the utility of complexity theory as a management tool, and concludes that while a number of metaphors and principles might suggest useful ways of thinking about management, the concept is neither new nor a panacea, and practitioners are urged toward caution.
International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing, 2006
Recently, criticisms have been levelled at the status of research into sport fan and sport consum... more Recently, criticisms have been levelled at the status of research into sport fan and sport consumer behaviour. It has been suggested that research must move beyond the description of sport fan motivations and segmentation typologies, and instead examine deeper aspects of behaviour culminating in the evaluation of alternative conceptual frameworks (Funk et al., 2003). This paper introduces an interdisciplinary approach to understanding sport consumer behaviour through the application of the Model of Human Occupation, a stalwart theory of occupational science. From this perspective the term occupation is not used as a proxy for vocation or work, but describes the groups of activities and tasks (such as work, leisure or daily living tasks) that are given order, value and meaning by individuals and culture. This viewpoint might aid in highlighting aspects of sport fandom that remain poorly understood, and is suggestive of new approaches to researching sport consumer behaviour, understanding fans and harnessing their loyalty.
Organization, 2014
In this article, we examine how to give objects a voice in organizational narrative. We track our... more In this article, we examine how to give objects a voice in organizational narrative. We track our encounter with a 914 Xerox copier, a redundant technological object that was scripted into a desired historical narrative within a corporate exhibit. Despite the 914’s apparent mnemonic and institutional efficacy, we questioned whether it might constitute more than a narrative repository. Might material objects in organizations also participate in narrative production? In this article, we advocate a post-social approach to narrative methodology that recognizes objects—such as the 914—as non-human actors in organizational sense-making. After reviewing post-sociality’s central premises, we propose three domains through which an object narrative can be elicited: object materiality, object practices and object biography. First, we suggest that object materiality can highlight the significant, networks of forces, materials and people—and therefore episodes and actors—that engage with and thr...