Abstract
The findings of a single-case study conducted in a large Swedish hospital, where organizational processes of ostracism occurred on many levels, is described in this paper. The method used was organizational ethnography during 8 month of fieldwork in the organization, doing observations, conversations in situ, document analysis, shadowing management and interviews with both employees and management. The paper sheds light on how the organization’s governing policies and procedures are utilized as tools to facilitate the exclusion of employees who do not align with its strategic interest. Thus, mistreatment at work could be viewed as a pragmatic organizational strategy. Using organizational politics theory, pragmatic mistreatment is interpreted as a key contributor to inequality in the organization. The findings refute prior explanations for workplace mistreatment in the workplace and demonstrate the value of studying exclusion practice as an interdisciplinary issue because it poses a social risk to employees and is influenced by the fiercer labor market competition and, at the same time, increased demands on employees to be employable and attractive, both of which are seriously threatened by an unethical organizational climate.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Pragmatic Mistreatment, Inequalities, Organisational Politics, Ostracism, Organisational Ethics
