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Symbolizing Institutional Change: Media Representations and Legality in the Payday Loan and Medical Marijuana Industries

Schnackenberg, Andrew K
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1405090956

Abstract Details

2014, Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, Organizational Behavior.
In this dissertation, I examine the influence of arguments on political decisions related to the legality of two industries in transition: medical marijuana and payday loans. To date, no theoretical explanation exists in the organization theory literature to explain the role of arguments to influence political decisions related to industries that suffer negative or “illegitimate” social evaluations. I propose a model of the sociopolitical status of industries that highlights the often overlooked reality that public perceptions of industry legitimacy seldom perfectly support or endorse existing industry laws and regulations. Arguments made by public figures influence the sociopolitical status of industries by asserting a perspective of industry activities that provide social actors—including political decision makers—with “symbolic resources” to justify and broadcast support or opposition for the industry. Using this framework, I examine the influence of three factors—rhetoric, framing, and logics—that work through arguments to influence political decision making. While prior characterizations of rhetoric, framing, and logic suggest they exist as distinct elements influencing industry legality, I found evidence that all arguments include aspects of rhetoric, framing, and logic. Specifically, I found evidence of rhetoric signaling a perspective of support or opposition towards the industry. In addition, I found evidence of nine frames commonly used to categorize dialectical differences into conventional topics of conversation: enforcement, regulation, taxes, jobs, character, forthrightness, products, administration, and cost. I also found evidence of three overarching logics used to build a perspective of industry activity: the state, the community, and the market. Finally, I found evidence that arguments consisting of distinct configurations of rhetoric, framing, and logics influenced political decision making. These findings supported a number of proposition related to the role of rhetoric, framing, and logics in guiding sociopolitical change. Specifically, decreasing industry legality is possible across a greater diversity of framed topics of conversation than increasing industry legality. Arguments derived from the state logic are more useful to influence political decision making when the industry is considered more legitimate and arguments derived from the market logic are more useful to influence political decision making when the industry is considered less legitimate.
Corinne Coen (Committee Chair)
Ronald Fry (Committee Member)
Diana Bilimoria (Committee Member)
Kalle Lyytinen (Committee Member)
213 p.
Communication; Law; Logic; Management; Mass Media; Organization Theory; Rhetoric; Social Structure; Sociology
Rhetoric; framing; logics; symbolism; institutional theory; legitimacy; legality; arguments; industry change; media; political decision making; marijuana; payday loans; computer aided text analysis; CATA; qualitative comparative analysis; QCA

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Schnackenberg, A. K. (2014). Symbolizing Institutional Change: Media Representations and Legality in the Payday Loan and Medical Marijuana Industries [Doctoral dissertation, Case Western Reserve University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1405090956

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Schnackenberg, Andrew. Symbolizing Institutional Change: Media Representations and Legality in the Payday Loan and Medical Marijuana Industries. 2014. Case Western Reserve University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1405090956.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Schnackenberg, Andrew. "Symbolizing Institutional Change: Media Representations and Legality in the Payday Loan and Medical Marijuana Industries." Doctoral dissertation, Case Western Reserve University, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1405090956

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

case1405090956
1,324
© 2014, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Case Western Reserve University School of Graduate Studies and OhioLINK.