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Democratic Organizing in the Corporate Sphere: A Case Study

Bonine, Brent A.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1357664971

Abstract Details

2013, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, Communication Studies (Communication).
As a result of the Great Recession and the sluggish recovery, a downturn in the economy led to mass layoffs, leaving employees in various industries in the for-profit sector feeling hopeless and marginalized. Those employees were left voiceless as companies made autocratic decisions to cut wages and jobs to remain economically viable. This period of uncertainty for employee led to questions of whether or not space for participation, voice, and democracy could exist in the for-profit sector. Little research has focused on alternative, democratic organizing in the for-profit sector; hence, this research posed the central question: Under what conditions can a for-profit organization create a democratic, participatory culture that thrives in a capitalist society? To answer this question, a critical ethnography case study was conducted on a small for-profit telecommunications business that claims to be democratic. Ten individuals from the company and an expert on democratic corporations were interviewed. Results suggest multiple strategies enable democratic practices in a corporate for-profit environment that can flourish in a downturn economy. These strategies consist of a shared democratic narrative among employees, scalable practices, and practicing transparency while holding employees accountable in the face of a downturn.
Anita James, PhD (Advisor)
Lynn Harter, PhD (Committee Member)
Scott Titsworth, PhD (Committee Member)
Francis Godwyll, PhD (Committee Member)
126 p.
Communication
democratic organizing; participatory workplace; democratic workplace; democracy and bureaucracy; democratic practices; democracy and capitalism

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Bonine, B. A. (2013). Democratic Organizing in the Corporate Sphere: A Case Study [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1357664971

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Bonine, Brent. Democratic Organizing in the Corporate Sphere: A Case Study. 2013. Ohio University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1357664971.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Bonine, Brent. "Democratic Organizing in the Corporate Sphere: A Case Study." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1357664971

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ohiou1357664971
552
© 2013, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Ohio University and OhioLINK.