This report provides an analysis of an article by Parker (1995) which explores management culture in a manufacturing firm in order to identify the nature of the firm's culture, its unitary or fragmented form, and the degree to which culture represents what an organization is rather than what it does or possesses. Philosophical perspectives including epistemology and ontology as conceptualized within social scientific research were analyzed, differentiated, and then applied to an analysis of Parker's (1995) study.
The analysis reveals that Parker (1995) positioned his case study within the ontological and epistemological perspectives while employing a methodology that was qualitative and exploratory in nature. The study reveals that Parker (1995) found that his target organization was comprised of many different cultural groups each of which understood and responded to the introduction of new technologies from a subjectivist rather than a universalist posture.
The essay offers criticisms focused not on Parker's (1995) philosophical perspective or conclusions, but rather on his choice of methodology. It concludes that while Parker (1995) contributed to an understanding of how cultural sociology in practice and in research can be addressed, his findings would be of greater value had they been based upon an empirical or quantitative research strategy.
The purpose of this essay is to examine and critically review Martin Parker's 1995 article "Working Together, Working Apart: Management Culture in a Manufacturing Firm," a report on a case study of management culture in a specific organization that sought to assess the usefulness of the concept "culture" as it applies to organizations. The essay will identify the philosophical perspective underlying the research, show how this particular perspective informs the research design and the conclusions advanced by Parker (1995), critically assess the adequacy of the research in t...