Visual and Multimodal Research in Organization and Management Studies (Routledge Studies in Management, Organizations and Society)

This volume brings together two hitherto disparate domains of scholarly inquiry: organization and management studies on the one hand, and the study of visual and multimodal communication on the other. Within organization and management studies it has been recognized that organizational reality and communication are becoming increasingly visual, and, more generally, multimodal, whether in digital form or otherwise. Within multimodality studies it has been noted that many forms of contemporary communication are deeply influenced by organizational and managerial communication, as formerly formal and bureaucratic types of communication increasingly adopt promotional language and multimodal document presentation.Visual and Multimodal Research in Organization and Management Studies integrates these two domains of research in a way that will benefit both. In particular, it conceptually and empirically connects recent insights from visual and multimodality studies to ongoing discussions in organization and management theory. Throughout, the book shows how a visual/multimodal lens enriches and extends what we already know about organization, organizations, and practices of organizing, but also how concepts from organization and management studies can be highly productive in further developing insights on visual and multimodal communication.Due to its essentially interdisciplinary objectives, the book will prove inspiring for academics and scholars of management, the sociology of organizations as well as related disciplines such as applied linguistics and visual studies. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Series Page 3 Title 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 List of Figures 11 List of Tables 13 Acknowledgements 14 Preface 15 PART I Introduction 18 1 Purpose of This Volume 20 1.1 Aims and Objectives 20 1.2 Different Fields, Similar Interests—Exploring Intersections Between Organization and Multimodality Research 22 1.2.1 Visual and Multimodal Turn in Organization Studies 23 1.2.2 Organizational Turn in Multimodality Studies 25 1.2.3 Intersections and Opportunities 26 1.3 Recent Developments at the Intersection of Organization and Multimodality Research 27 1.3.1 Visuality: Making Organization ‘Visible’ 27 1.3.2 Materiality: Making Organization ‘Tangible' 29 1.3.3 Further Extensions of the Communicative Construction of Organization and Organizing 31 1.4 Roots and Inspirations for Multimodal Organization Research 32 1.5 Approaches to the Study of Multimodality in Organizations 36 1.6 Case Studies and Applications 39 1.7 Conclusion 40 2 A Social Semiotic Approach to Multimodality 41 2.1 What Is Social Semiotics? 42 2.2 The ‘Social’ in Social Semiotics 42 2.3 The ‘Semiotic’ in Social Semiotics 44 2.3.1 System and Instantiation 44 2.3.2 Metafunctions 47 2.3.3 Stratification 52 2.4 Another Look at Mode and Multimodality 56 2.4.1 Mode Revisited 56 2.4.2 Multimodality Revisited 58 2.5 Conclusion 61 PART II Strategies for Multimodal Scholarly Inquiry 64 3 Approaches, Methods, and Research Agenda: An Overview 66 4 The Archaeological Approach 69 4.1 Core Ideas 69 4.2 Aspects of Organization 70 4.3 Methods 72 4.4 Exemplary Studies 73 4.5 Implications of Different Modes for Archaeological Research 75 4.6 Specific Challenges and Opportunities Regarding Multimodality 77 5 The Practice Approach 79 5.1 Core Ideas 79 5.2 Aspects of Organization 80 5.3 Methods 82 5.4 Exemplary Studies 83 5.5 Implications of Different Modes for Practice Research 84 5.6 Specific Challenges and Opportunities Regarding Multimodality 86 6 The Strategic Approach 88 6.1 Core Ideas 88 6.2 Aspects of Organization 88 6.3 Methods 90 6.4 Exemplary Studies 91 6.5 Implications of Different Modes for Strategic Research 94 6.6 Specific Challenges and Opportunities Regarding Multimodality 94 7 The Dialogical Approach 96 7.1 Core Ideas 96 7.2 Aspects of Organization 97 7.3 Methods 99 7.4 Exemplary Studies 100 7.5 Implications of Different Modes for Dialogical Research 102 7.6 Specific Challenges and Opportunities Regarding Multimodality 103 8 The Documenting Approach 105 8.1 Core Ideas 105 8.2 Aspects of Research 105 8.3 Exemplary Studies 107 8.4 Implications of Different Modes for Documenting Research 109 8.5 Specific Challenges and Opportunities Regarding Multimodality 111 9 Summary: Towards Multi-Approach Studies in Multimodal Organization Research 114 PART III Application 116 10 Introduction to Four Case Studies 118 10.1 Case Selection 118 10.2 Case Presentation 119 11 The Power of Diagrams 121 11.1 Some Characteristics of Diagrammatic Communication 122 11.2 Aspects of the Grammar of Diagrams 128 11.3 Analysing Diagrams 135 11.4 Resources for Producing Diagrams: Microsoft SmartArt 139 11.5 Conclusions 144 12 The Use of Logos in Post-Merger Identity Construction at Aalto University 146 12.1 Identity-Building in Mergers and Acquisitions 146 12.2 Logos in Identity-Building 147 12.3 The Aalto Merger: Key Events 149 12.4 Aalto University’s Visual Identity 150 12.5 Use of the Logo in Intentional Identity Construction in Internal and External Arenas 152 12.6 Reactions and Use of the Logo 154 12.7 Conclusions 156 13 Multimodal Meaning-Making in Online Shopping 157 13.1 Multimodal Meaning-Making in Zalando’s Online Shop 158 13.1.1 An Overview of zalando.co.uk 159 13.1.2 Register Variation at zalando.co.uk 159 13.1.3 The Catalogue 161 13.1.4 The Product Sheet 161 13.1.5 Retail Register 163 13.1.6 Advertising Register 166 13.1.7 Fashion Magazine Register 167 13.1.8 Meaning-Making at zalando.co.uk—In a Nutshell 171 13.2 The Practice of Shopping on www.zalando.co.uk 172 13.3 Customer Motivation 175 13.4 Conclusions 177 14 Multimodal Legitimation and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) 179 14.1 Multimodal Legitimation 179 14.2 Corporate Social Responsibility as a Response to Issues of Legitimacy 181 14.3 Corporate Social Responsibility in Austrian Corporate Reporting 183 14.3.1 Data and Sampling 184 14.3.2 Analytical Procedures 185 14.3.3 Central Findings 188 14.4 Implications of Multimodality for Legitimacy Research 194 14.5 Other Research Approaches to Multimodal Legitimation 195 14.6 Conclusions 196 PART IV Discussion 198 15 The Way Ahead: Discussion and Conclusion 200 15.1 Taking Stock: Ongoing Progress in Multimodal Organization Research 200 15.1.1 Growing Realization About the Multimodality of Contemporary Organization(s) 201 15.1.2 Engagement With a Broad Spectrum of Topics and Issues 201 15.1.3 Increasing Sophistication in the Conceptualization of Modes 202 15.1.4 Doing Research Multimodally 203 15.2 Unrealized Potentials and Avenues for Future Research 204 15.2.1 More Sophisticated Understandings of Modal Orchestrations/Amalgamations 204 15.2.2 Developing Systematic Methodologies to Tackle Multimodality 205 15.2.3 Systematizing the ‘Omelette’ of Concepts and Theories 206 15.2.4 Acknowledging the Cultural Construction of Modes 206 15.2.5 Avoiding ‘Cherry-Picking’ of Modes Under Study 207 15.3 Towards a Joint Way Forward 208 15.4 Implications for Organizational Practice 209 15.4.1 Increasing Attention and Literacy 209 15.4.2 Expanding the Communicative Toolbox 210 References 212 Index 240 Visual,and,Multimodal,Research,in,Organization,and,Management,Studies Part I: Introduction1 Purpose of this volume1.1 Aims and objectives1.2 Different fields, similar interests - exploring intersections between organization and multimodality research1.2.1 Visual and multimodal turn in organization studies1.2.2 Organizational turn in multimodality studies1.2.3 Intersections and opportunities1.3 Recent developments at the intersection of organization and multimodality research1.3.1 Visuality: making organization `visible'1.3.2 Materiality: making organization `tangible'1.3.3 Further extensions of the communicative construction of organization and organizing1.4 Roots and inspirations for multimodal organization research1.5 Approaches to the study of multimodality in organizations1.6 Case studies and applications1.7 Conclusion2 A social semiotic approach to multimodality2.1 What is social semiotics?2.2 The `social' in social semiotics2.3 The `semiotic' in social semiotics2.3.1 System and instantiation2.3.2 Metafunctions2.3.3 Stratification2.4 Another look at mode and multimodality2.4.1 Mode revisited2.4.2 Multimodality revisited2.5 ConclusionPart II: Strategies for multimodal scholarly inquiry3 Approaches, methods, and research agenda: An overview4 The archaeological approach4.1 Core ideas4.2 Aspects of organization4.3 Methods4.4 Exemplary studies4.5 Implications of different modes for archaeological research4.6 Specific challenges and opportunities regarding multimodality5 The practice approach5.1 Core ideas5.2 Aspects of organization5.3 Methods5.4 Exemplary studies5.5 Implications of different modes for practice research5.6 Specific challenges and opportunities regarding multimodality6 The strategic approach6.1 Core ideas6.2 Aspects of organization6.3 Methods6.4 Exemplary studies6.5 Implications of different modes for strategic research6.6 Specific challenges and opportunities regarding multimodality7 The dialogical approach7.1 Core ideas7.2 Aspects of organization7.3 Methods7.4 Exemplary studies7.5 Implications of different modes for dialogical research7.6 Specific challenges and opportunities regarding multimodality8 The documenting approach8.1 Core ideas8.2 Aspects of research8.3 Exemplary studies8.4 Implications of different modes for documenting research8.5 Specific challenges and opportunities regarding multimodality9 Summary: Towards multi-approach studies in multimodal organization researchPart III: Application10 Introduction to four case studies10.1 Case selection10.2 Case presentation11 The power of diagrams11.1 Some characteristics of diagrammatic communication11.2 Aspects of the grammar of diagrams11.3 Analysing diagrams11.4 Resources for producing diagrams: Microsoft SmartArt11.5 Conclusions12 The use of logos in post-merger identity construction at Aalto University12.1 Identity-building in mergers and acquisitions (M&As)12.2 Logos in identity-building12.3 The Aalto merger: Key events12.4 Aalto University's visual identity12.5 Use of the logo in intentional identity construction in internal and external arenas12.6 Reactions and use of the logo12.7 Conclusions13 Multimodal meaning-making in online shopping13.1 Multimodal meaning-making in Zalando's online shop13.1.1 An overview of zalando.co.uk13.1.2 Register variation at zalando.co.uk13.1.3 The catalogue13.1.4 The product sheet13.1.5 Retail register13.1.6 Advertising register13.1.7 Fashion magazine register13.1.8 Meaning-making at zalando.co.uk - in a nutshell13.2 The practice of shopping on www.zalando.co.uk13.3 Customer motivation13.4 Conclusions14 Multimodal legitimation and corporate social responsibility (CSR)14.1 Multimodal legitimation14.2 Corporate social responsibility as a response to issues of legitimacy14.3 Corporate social responsibility in Austrian corporate reporting14.3.1 Data and Sampling14.3.2 Analytical procedures14.3.3 Central findings14.4 Implications of multimodality for legitimacy research14.5 Other research approaches to multimodal legitimation14.6 ConclusionsPart IV: Discussion15 The way ahead: Discussion and conclusion15.1 Taking stock: Ongoing progress in multimodal organization research15.1.1 Growing realization about the multimodality of contemporary organization(s)15.1.2 Engagement with a broad spectrum of topics and issues15.1.3 Increasing sophistication in the conceptualization of modes15.1.4 Doing research multimodally15.2 Unrealized potentials and avenues for future research15.2.1 More sophisticated understandings of modal orchestrations/amalgamations15.2.2 Developing systematic methodologies to tackle multimodality15.2.3 Systematizing the `omelette' of concepts and theories15.2.4 Acknowledging the cultural construction of modes15.2.5 Avoiding `cherry-picking' of modes under study15.3 Towards a joint way forward15.4 Implications for organizational practice15.4.1 Increasing attention and literacy15.4.2 Expanding the communicative toolbox