Order, authority & identity : a comparative study of ski patrollers and lift operators at a California ski resort
Name
44390309-MIT.pdf
Description
Full printable version
Size
10.57 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
a77d1fb37f8adb8b8c7fafeafe46977d
Author(s)
Guild Wendy L. (Wendy Lynn), 1968-
Advisor(s)
John Van Maanen.
Alternative Title
Comparative study of ski patrollers and lift operators at a California ski resort
Date Issued
1999
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
The objective of this thesis, resulting from two years of participant-observation fieldwork, is to explore the link between order, authority, and identity at a California ski resort. Through comparing how work gets done in two departments on the mountain, I consider how the authority effective in maintaining order is shaped by the identities of those working in each department. In particular, I demonstrate how subcultural authority shapes work accomplishment in Lift Operations, whereas organizational authority ensures that the Ski Patrol work gets done. Through ethnographic detail, these authorities are linked to the lift operators' ironic detachment and the patrollers' professionalism. A theoretical contribution is made in the development of an "action claims" framework for identity, the order-facilitating analysis of authority, and the presentation of their interconnections. The consequences of the configurations for the individuals and the organization are considered. Implications for managing subcultural populations are explored.
Description
Thesis (Ph.D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 1999.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 158-166).
Subjects
Sloan School of Management.
MIT Department
Sloan School of Management
Terms of Use
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