In at least 250 words, reply to the original poster below. You must use at least two scholarly journals to support your response. You must also use at least one reference from the New International Version Bible. All citations must be in APA 7th Edition format with both in-text citations and a References page. Journals must be from within the past 5 years. You must also use the attached text as a reference.
Original Poster (Tram Doan)
Organizational ethnography pertains to diving into the customs or lifestyles of the study subjects to obtain first-hand information on the complexities of social relations. It helps disclose and examine the convolutions, disputes, lifestyles, and underlying tensions within organizations. Fieldwork entails observing and fetching information regarding the native environment, customs, and human beings interactions. However, there are various developments in ethnography following the adoption of technology in different industries. Therefore, digging into organizational ethnography provides insight into recent trends and their impact on public administration.
Fieldworks play a critical role in ethnographies within an organization. Fieldworks are not confined to an enclosed environment but involve immersion into the everyday activities of the target group. Immersing in the organization helps the researcher attain a comprehensive view of the dominant culture through observation, stakeholder socialization, and engagement in meetings, workshops, and casual discussions (Jayathilaka, 2021). Fieldwork also helps establish the contexts in which specific behaviors or practices occur, which is crucial in interpreting the reasons behind the organization’s culture, information hierarchies, and leadership dynamics not portrayed in the organization chart. Fieldwork in organizational ethnography also helps discover implied rules and informal connections that could significantly influence performance (Jayathilaka, 2021). Organizations often have an informal culture for carrying out different operations and interacting with various stakeholders, which requires in-depth research.
In addition, creating a rapport helps establish trust with the stakeholders, making it easy to disclose guarded information through insightful questions. Fieldwork is also critical in policy reforms as policymakers could utilize information obtained to initiate more appropriate and equitable regulations. Besides, fieldwork in organization ethnography helps establish underlying trends and patterns in business performance economically, socially, and environmentally, which helps point out areas that need improvement(Jayathilaka, 2021). Thus, fieldwork is essential in organizational ethnography as it provides a deeper view of interpersonal relations, leadership dynamics, implied connections and rules to help in decision-making, policy reforms, and operations improvement to thrive in the dynamic business sector.
However, the inception of technology in different organizations has led to critical developments in organizational ethnography. For instance, the wider application of digital communication and remote working has led to the adoption of digital ethnography as physical immersion could fail to provide an accurate information. Researchers are pushed to indulge in virtual environments (video conferencing, emailing, and Facebook groups, among other platforms) to gather critical details regarding an organization’s behavior and interactions (Akemu & Abdelnour, 2018). Another crucial development is the multi-sited ethnography. Currently, organizations are embracing diversity and business expansion strategies. An organization could have different branches virtually and physically across various cultural contexts and locations (Akemu & Abdelnour, 2018). Multi-sited ethnography aims to study people’s activities and conduct in varying locations to understand how different contexts and practices locally/globally influence organizational interactions and culture.
Moreover, ethnographers need to integrate extensive data analysis into research to establish organizational trends, patterns, and dynamics that cannot be obtained through observation. Ethnographers must consider various ethical implications when conducting fieldwork activities in the contemporary world (Akemu & Abdelnour, 2018). This could include the protection of the participant’s privacy rights, disclosure, and transparency. Ethnographers should also be aware of personal biases hindering the collection of reliable and credible information regarding an organization’s behaviors (Akemu & Abdelnour, 2018). Generally, the various developments in organizational ethnographies are critical in enhancing diversity, comprehending contemporary work dynamics, and upholding ethics.
Moreover, the highlighted developments in organizational ethnography significantly impacts public administration. Organizational ethnography helps in establishing policy reforms in the public sector. For instance, fieldwork in public organizations could help highlight inefficiencies in leadership and communication, necessitating policy reforms. It could also enhance the dissemination of public services (Pandeli et al., 2021). For example, direct interaction with the workers provides a broader view of the frontline workers’ challenges, which the public administration can use to initiate support systems and training programs to deliver a more responsive service. Ethnography is also crucial in managing change, as it integrates appropriate strategies to alleviate the resistance rate (Pandeli et al., 2021). Fieldwork practices help ethnographers discover workers’ interactions through casual discussions, obtaining information regarding their resistance to change.
The public administration could also utilize data provided by the ethnographers to establish existing discrepancies between the written regulations and policies and the actual practices carried out in the public organizations. This in turn promotes accountability and transparency (Pandeli et al., 2021). In addition, the multi-sited ethnography provides crucial information regarding business operations in different communities globally/locally, which public administrators could utilize to promote diversity and alleviate discrimination. Fieldwork helps discover underlying organizational challenges relating to power imbalances, segregation, biases, and stereotyping (Pandeli et al., 2021). This information is vital in establishing policies and practices that promote inclusion and respect for diverse ideas and beliefs, enhancing creativity and economic growth in different sectors.
Generally, organizational ethnography is central in streamlining organizations’ practices to provide a healthy work environment and enhance diversity. Conducting fieldwork in an organization reveals hidden practices that require adjustment to attain the organization’s objectives. Fieldwork offers a nuanced understanding of contextualized cultures, practices, and interactions. Critical developments in ethnography include multi-site and digital ethnography, ethical integration, and extensive data analysis. These developments help inform and promote policy reforms and enhance diversity and accountability in public sectors.
References
Akemu, O., & Abdelnour, S. (2018). Confronting the digital: Doing ethnography in modern organizational settings. Organizational Research Methods, 23(2), 296–321. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428118791018
Jayathilaka, A. (2021). Ethnography and Organizational ethnography: Research Methodology. Open Journal of Business and Management, 09(01), 91–102. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojbm.2021.91005
Pandeli, J., Sutherland, N., & Gaggiotti, H. (2021). Organizational ethnography. In Routledge eBooks. https://doi.org/10.4324/978100302158
