Information to Users
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMl films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand comer and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Each original is also photographed in one exposure and is included in reduced form at the back of the book. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6” x 9” black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. UMI A Bell & Howell Infonnation Company 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor MI 48106-1346 USA 313/761-4700 800/521-0600 AN ANTHROPOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF THREE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FIRMS USING JAMES C. SCOTT'S THEORIES RELATED TO EVERYDAY FORMS OF RESISTANCE TO POWER DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Cynthia Joseph Smith, B.A., M.A. ***** The Ohio State University 1998 Dissertation Committee: Approved by Professor Erika Bourguignon Professor Amy Zaharlick Adviser Department of Anthropology UMI Number: 9911271 Copyright 1998 by Smith, Cynthia Joseph All rights reserved. UMI Microform 9911271 Copyright 1999, by UMI Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. t n v n 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103 Copyright by Cynthia Joseph Smith 1998 ABSTRACT This dissertation investigates the use of James C. Scott's theoretical framework to analyze data collected in three business organizations. Primary concepts from the framework used in this analysis are: the moral economy, hidden and public transcripts, and everyday forms of resistance. The interplay of the moral and material economies of business settings, and the use of figurative communication to enact everyday forms of resistance are explored in detail. Participant-observation methods were used over the course of nearly eight years in the first organization, three years in the second, and over two years in the third. My roles within the organizations included independent researcher, employee and consultant. All organizations studied provide information technology consulting services to business and government. Each represents a different segment of the information technology industry. One is a professional services partnership, another is a large mainframe computer manufacturer, and the third is a development software product company. 11 An overview of anthropological involvement in contemporary business and my use of ethnographic methods in business settings is presented. Brief descriptions of the three organizations in this study are provided. James C. Scott's body of work is discussed extensively. Using the data from my research, the interplay of the moral and material economies in organizations is explored as a means to understand resistance behavior and the informal aspects of organizational time and expense accounting systems. Figurative communication is defined as a broad category including linguistic as well as a wide range of other behaviors used for communicative purposes. Figurative communication is discussed and its use in everyday forms of resistance to power emphasized. The results of this analysis indicate Scott's conceptual framework provides a very robust approach to analyzing ethnographic data gathered in business settings. In combination with sociolinguistic techniques emphasizing the use of figurative communication, the dynamics of power relations can be effectively analyzed and discussed. Additionally, Scott's framework and attention to figurative communication is proposed for use in applied business anthropology as a means to develop practical applications. Ill To Sara and Mitch and with gratitude to Bill IV ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This dissertation is the culmination of a long career in business punctuated by retreats into scholarship which has helped make sense of that experience. I would first like to thank the Department of Anthropology for making me feel welcome every time I turned up on its doorstep in the past twenty-five years. Dr. Richard H. Moore could not have been a better adviser for this effort. His hard work and dedication are an inspiration. He has provided steady and invaluable guidance, yet has allowed me the freedom to pursue my individual interests. I greatly appreciate all the time and effort he has put forth in my behalf, his unfailing support and encouragement, and the great wealth of knowledge and experience he has shared over the years. I am indebted to Dr. Erika Bourguignon not only for all she has taught me in her seminars and her help with this dissertation, but also for being an exemplary role model. She is not only a formidable intellect and indomitable spirit, but is also a consummate professional and a gracious lady. Her skillful interviewing, probing questions, and incisive comments have taught me as much about life as about V anthropology. Probably like many others, I am glad Dr. Bourguignon does not drive. Our excursions here and there have been a real pleasure, and I look forward to "driving Dr. B" for many years to come. Dr. Amy Zaharlick's excellent seminar in linguistics inspired my interest in using sociolinguistics to analyze the extensive data I have collected. Her encouragement and suggestions helped with completing my Master's thesis on the topic of metaphor, and with the further extension of this work into the area of figurative communication reflected in this dissertation. Dr. Zaharlick's command of her specialty and great clarity in teaching are truly impressive and have been immeasurably helpful. I would also like to thank Dr. Ojo Arewa for his help with my Candidacy Exam. His questions helped greatly in clarifying my thoughts about business anthropology. I have truly enjoyed the many hours of pleasant and stimulating conversation on a wide range of topics that we have had over the years. I am deeply indebted to Dr. Frank Poirier for not only what he has taught me about physical anthropology, but also for what he has taught me about teaching. It has been a real privilege to be his student and his graduate teaching assistant. As a member of the committee overseeing my VI Master's thesis. Dr. Poirier provided important feedback and insights that have also been useful in completing this dissertation. Dr. William Dancey was also instrumental as a committee member for my Master's thesis on which this dissertation is based. It was Dr. Dancey's introduction to archaeology that put me on the path that made anthropology my major. Not only has Dr. Dancey been an excellent teacher, but he is also a friend with whom I have shared some of life's ups and downs. To Dr. Paul Sciulli I owe a great intellectual debt for the excellent foundation in evolutionary theory he provides through his seminar. Other seminars with him furthered my appreciation for the importance of physical anthropology to a well-rounded education. I have very fond memories of the summer I spent in his lab sorting and measuring bones. I am very grateful to Dr. Kenneth David of Michigan State University who put research before consulting to help me in the early stages of my fieldwork. His great energy and wit were instrumental in getting an important stage in this work completed successfully. It has also been an honor and privilege to know and work with Dr. Leonard Sayles of Columbia University. For more than ten years he has been a mentor, a colleague, and a friend. Not only do I treasure sharing good food and many pleasant hours of conversation with he and his wife, Kathy VIX Ripin, but the opportunity for the three of us to collaborate has also helped me grow as a professional. Many anthropologists actively involved in business anthropology have generously given of their time, advice and support. I wish to thank Drs. John Sherry, Tomoko Hamada, Marietta Baba, Frank Dubinskas, Roger McConochie, Margo Smith, Lorna McDougall, Susan Squires, Helen Schwartzman, Richard Reeves-Ellington, Jo Rainie Rodgers, and Darby Stapp in particular for their assistance, especially during the formative stages of my work. I am also grateful to Dr. Juliana Roth for her hospitality during my stay in Munich and for sharing her experiences during our long and pleasant conversations. Harry Blaine who encouraged my study of anthropology from the beginning and gave me his very fine library of anthropological classics is especially thanked. I thank Anita, Phyllis and Susan for all their cheerful assistance over these many years. They are not only very knowledgeable and ever-ready to help, but they make visits to the Department's office an invariably enjoyable experience. I also wish to thank all the business colleagues who, over the past thirty years, have helped me both personally and professionally. Hundreds of people contributed directly and indirectly to the research I have conducted. V l l l A very special thanks goes to William Yeack, who more than any other, has made this work possible. I have had the privilege of knowing Bill for over fifteen years and have watched him help many individuals, besides myself, realize their aspirations.