PDW 02: Analyzing and Theorizing Raw Qualitative Data as a Collective

Convenors:
Ellen Nathues
Leuphana University Lüneburg, Germany, & University of Twente, The Netherlands
David Hollis
Sheffield University Management School, United Kingdom

Call for Applications


Purpose

This PDW is held in association with the EGOS Standing Working Group (SWG) 06 on Communication, Performativity, and Organization. Specifically, it focuses on analyzing and theorizing raw qualitative data from communication as constitutive (CCO; e.g., Ashcraft et al., 2009; Cooren et al., 2011; Schoeneborn et al., 2019) and performativity perspectives (e.g., Cabantous et al., 2018; Gond et al., 2016). The workshop offers a space for interested scholars to share and discuss their raw empirical material as a collective.
 
Much of what we do as interpretive researchers when making sense of our data continues to remain in the figurative black box, especially those first moments of exploring the material for intriguing hooks, surprising puzzles, potential theoretical connections, and so on. Common questions abound, particularly so for early-career researchers, such as: Is what I am seeing in the data interesting and relevant? Do others share my observations and interpretations? What other angles could be useful for my work, and which theoretical notions could I maybe contribute to?
 
In our experience, such and similar questions are best answered when coming together as a collective. That is precisely why, with this PDW, we seek to create a space where scholars can jointly discuss data and generate ideas. We have in mind an event that facilitates knowledge exchange and learning and that fosters new connections and collaborations; a hands-on workshop where a select number of presenters share their data to analyze it with the other participants in the room. In doing so, participants will be able to discuss raw data around the same time as discussing more ‘polished’ data at the main EGOS Colloquium. This will provide currently-lacking insight into the data journey many of us individually encounter, but too infrequently explore together as a collective. We have tested this format already in the summer of 2022, but please see the next section for more details on the background story of this PDW.
 

Background: ‘The CCO Data Collective’

Starting in 2020, The CCO Data Collective (www.ccodatacollective.com) has provided a space for communication as constitutive and performativity scholars to come together virtually to share, analyze and theorize data collectively. The collective currently stands at over 40 members from North America and Europe across a spectrum of career stages, from doctoral to full professorial. So far, ten online events have been successfully run with data from diverse research projects as well as one in-person workshop. As a collective, we discuss interesting observations and interpretations as well as potential theoretical avenues, resulting in inspiring conversations, many novel ideas, and strengthened or newly formed connections among both junior and senior scholars.
 

Format

The PDW consists of three main parts:

  • Part 1: Welcome and introductions

  • Part 2: Presenttion and collective discussion of raw qualitative data (the conveners will make a selection beforehand regarding which empirical material will be shared and discussed)

  • Part 3: Collective reflection

 

Application

We invite applications from scholars with an interest in how to analyze raw data drawing on CCO theorizing and/or a performativity perspective to study organizing processes and phenomena. There are two ways of participating: (A) with sharing own data or (B) without sharing own data (discussing others’ data).


A – If you would like to participate and share your own data, please submit – via the EGOS website – by April 30, 2023 a single document (.docx or .pdf file) which includes the following information:
  • Your name, affiliation, contact details, and career stage;

  • A short introduction to your empirical data (including what intrigues or puzzles you about the data);

  • An extract/description of or a link to your raw data (if the data is not anonymized or publicly available, please make sure to acquire the needed consent).


We welcome various data types, including (but not limited to) the following:

  • Textual (e.g., archives, emails, reports, blogs, social media, etc.);
  • Audio (e.g., audio recordings + transcriptions of interviews, conversations, etc.);
  • Visual (e.g., video recordings + transcriptions of meetings, interventions, as well as Youtube videos, images, drawings, etc.)

Please make sure that transcripts are translated to English.


B – If you would like to participate without sharing your own data, please submit – via the EGOS website – by April 30, 2023 a single document (docx or .pdf file) which includes the following information:
  • Your name, affiliation, contact details, and career stage;

  • A short text about your interest in attending the workshop and what sort of data you typically or presently work with, including the perspective(s) you apply.

 


References
  • Ashcraft, K.L., Kuhn, T.R., & Cooren, F. (2009): “Constitutional amendments: ‘Materializing’ organizational communication.” The Academy of Management Annals, 3 (1), 1–64.
  • Cabantous, L., Gond, J.-P., & Wright, A. (2018): “The performativity of strategy: Taking stock and moving ahead.” Long Range Planning, 51 (3), 407–416.
  • Cooren, F., Kuhn, T., Cornelissen, J.P., & Clark, T. (2011): “Communication, organizing and organization: An overview and introduction to the Special Issue.” Organization Studies, 32 (9), 1149–1170.
  • Gond, J.-P., Cabantous, L., Harding, N., & Learmonth, M. (2016): “What do we mean by performativity in organizational and management theory? The uses and abuses of performativity.” International Journal of Management Reviews, 18 (4), 440–463.
  • Schoeneborn, D., Kuhn, T.R., & Kärreman, D. (2019): “The communicative constitution of organization, organizing, and organizationality.” Organization Studies, 40 (4), 475–496.
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Ellen Nathues is a post-doctoral researcher at Leuphana University Lüneburg, Germany, and at the University of Twente, Netherlands. She is the initiator of ‘The CCO Data Collective,’ an online format that brings together scholars interested in communicative constitution and performativity theories to jointly analyze data. Her research broadly focuses on processes of organization and communication, particularly in pluralistic, open, and/or temporary contexts such as interorganizational collaboration or learning communities. More specifically, Ellen is interested in questions of multivoicedness, agency, materiality, and multimodality. Her work is mainly of ethnographic, qualitative nature, and she also has a strong interest in methodological work. So far, her research has been published in ‘Organization Studies’, ‘Strategic Organization’, and ‘Small Group Research’, as well as in edited handbooks.
David Hollis is a lecturer in Organization Studies at Sheffield University Management School, United Kingdom. His research interests broadly revolve around rethinking classic notions of organization and management theorizing (OMT), like power, authority, and leadership, from communication as constitutive of organization (CCO) and/or performativity perspectives. David’s research is largely ethnographic in nature and involves studying organizational groups that are often under researched in OMT, such as make-up artists. David’s research has been published in ‘Organization Studies’, “De Gruyter Mouton’s Handbook of Management Communication”, and the “SAGE Handbook of Leadership” (2023).