Work, Meaning, and Identity:A Study of Semi-Clandestine Factory Interactions

Michel AntebyNew York University

Homers: artifacts manufactured in factories, on company time and with company materials or tools,

for personal use

3

Presentation Outline

1. Theory and research questions– Extending social networks literature– Meaning: any attribute of the social interaction

that participants repeatedly make salient– Social interactions, ties, and networks

2. Field setting, data, and methods

3. Patterns of meaning

4. Contributions and framing

4

Interactions Around Homers

S2

B = Blacksmith

P = Press Operator

Welder = W

Supervisor 1 = S1

Saw Operator = S

O = Office Worker

E = Executive

Workshop 1

Supervisor 2 = S2

Workshop 2

S2

B

P

W

S1

S

O

E

BW

S1

E

PS

O

5

Interactions, Ties and NetworksS2

B

P

W

S1

S

O

E

Interaction X

A

C

B

Interaction Y

A

C

B

Interaction Z

A

C

B

t

Social Tie 1[A-B]

Social Network

(E.g.: Friendship, Romantic Involvement, Board of Directors)

Social Tie 2[B-C]

Social Tie 3[C-D]

…

…

6

Prior Researchon Interactions in Networks

Social interactions are the building blocks of organizational life– Goffman 1967; Salancik and Pfeffer 1978; Brief and Nord 1990

Knowledge of the effects of these interactions has burgeoned in recent years– Employee hiring, bank lending rates, inner-city development

But the meaning of these interactions has mostly been assumed homogenous in network research

S2

B

P

W

S1

S

O

E

7

Calls to Enrich the Literature

Stinchcombe (1990: 381) on inter-corporate ties – “We need to know what flows across these links, who

decides on those flows in the light of what interests.” White (1992: 65-66) in Identity and Control

– “Until now, network constructs have lain undigested, increasingly indispensable for… insight but inert theoretically.”

Salancik (1995: 346) on structural holes– “There is danger in network analysis of not seeing the

trees in the forest. Interactions, the building blocks of networks, are too easily taken for granted.”

S2

B

P

W

S1

S

O

E

8

Research Questions

How do people make meaning of the social interactions that form network ties?– When participants are not considered equal – Specifically in semi-clandestine settings

How can we explain variations in meanings attributed to network ties?– From participants’ perspective– Ego-centered view

S2

B

P

W

S1

S

O

E

9

Field Setting and Data

In-depth study of an aerospace factory– Pierreville located near Paris– 4,000 employees– Main production is airplane engines

Multiple data sources to triangulate– Interviews (N=70) with retirees– Observations at the Labor Council (~ 43 days)– Mail surveys (N=184) on retirement homers– Archives on employment, labor relations, unions

10

Unit of Analysis and Methods

E

A

R

Interactions

1. Ego-Ego

2. Ego-Alter for Ego

3. Ego-Alter for Alter

4. Ego-Alter for 3rd Recipient

Narrated dyadic interaction around homer events

Meanings are derived from the

coding of the interviews, the

observations and archives

11

Receiving Retirement Homers

Associated with– Employment in the prototype workshop(F = 6.26, d.f. = 171, p < 0.05)– Technical training of recipient(F = 18.29, d.f. = 170, p < 0.01)

Not significantly associated with– Hierarchical level(F = 0.02, d.f. = 183, p = 0.89)

12

First Research Question

How do people make meaning of the social interactions that form network ties?

S2

B

P

W

S1

S

O

E

13

Categories of Tie Meanings Attached to Homer Interactions

• Respect and Recognition

• Collegiality

• Jobs or Regular Work

• Exchanges

14

Respect and Recognition

Narratives recognizing a person’s professionalism, skills, or behaviors and imbued with respect– Key words: unique, creative, proud, noble, respect

– One of my colleagues was a fitter by trade. This guy used to be able to mill, to shape on a wheel. He knew all the machines. We decided to make him a gift that recognized his skills.

– People knew they could bring me anything [in aluminum]. A piece of an oven or a broken cast stove, I could weld it. Nobody else at Pierreville knew how to repair it.

15

Collegiality

Narratives signaling belonging to a community and appreciation but no specific recognition– Key terms: appreciation, low involvement, non-personal

– This one [given to a colleague] takes only 3 or 4 hours to make. They are part of a series I made. You get a batch of scrap blades, a few welding points and the trick is done. These things we did did not turn me on very much.

– We made a small batch of toy replicas of the Concorde [plane] and passed them around to some friends.

16

Jobs or Regular Work

Narratives of regular work with the only difference being that the outcome is a homer– Key terms: normal work, orders, number of hours

– A few days later the shop manager saw one of them [Concorde] and liked it. He asked for a whole batch; we were reluctant. He finally ordered us to make that batch so he could give them out as gifts. We weren’t happy about this. We made them because we had to.

– It was done like a normal motor piece. They had all the elements to work on them since they used to make prototypes for us.

17

Exchanges

Narratives of give and take, selling and buying, usually involving some kind of currencies– Key terms: exchange, reciprocation, cost, buying, selling

– Some engage in homer work to make money. I, for instance, bought these lighters. The guy would take real coins and would insert them on these lighters as a decoration. He used to do this and sell them.

– Anyhow, as I told you, each time we would pay him something – under the coat of course, and what we gave him was always less than we would have paid outside.

18

Second Research Question

How do people make meaning of the social interactions that form network ties?

How can we explain variations in meanings attributed to network ties?

S2

B

P

W

S1

S

O

E

19

Impact of Participantson Patterns of Meanings

L-C C-C H-C

Respect and Recognition 3% 66% 16%

Collegiality 55% 11% 16%

Jobs or Regular Work 0% 17% 64%

Exchanges 42% 6% 4%

Notes. N = 135 dyadic homer events (in the 70 interviews), Chi-square = 93, p < 0.001 L = Lower level employees (unskilled workers and office workers) C = Craftsmen H = Higher level employees (supervisors, engineers, executives)

20

Patterns of Meanings

C = Craftsman

C

CRespect and Recognition

L = Lower Level

C

L

Collegiality or Exchanges

H = Higher Level

H

CJobs or Regular Work

?

21

Impact of Recipientson Patterns of Meanings

C-C Interactions Only Recipient L Recipient C Recipient H

Respect and Recognition 0% 91% 11%

Collegiality 100% 0% 11%

Jobs or Regular Work 0% 0% 78%

Exchanges 0% 9% 0%

Notes. N = 81 dyadic peer homer events (70 interviews), Chi-square = 125, p < 0.001 L = Lower level employees (unskilled workers and office workers) C = Craftsmen H = Higher level employees (Supervisors, engineers, executives)

22

Patterns of Meanings Attached to Peer Interactions

When Recipient is Peer Level

When Recipient is Higher Level

When Recipient is Lower LevelC

C

LCollegiality

C

C

C

C

C

H

Respect and Recognition

Jobs or Regular Work

23

The 3 first specializations have been attached to other units. For AeroDyn’s sake, we sincerely hope the transplants will hold

As of April 2nd 1984, management wants to amputate our last unit

HARD TO WALK AFTER THAT!This is an operation with no return!

Management is offering us an artificial limb: mass assembly work.

A ONE-LEGGED MAN!(That’s Today’s Prototype Workshop)

• Material Study Unit

• Regulation Unit

• 150 Workers (proposed cut)

• Engine Unit

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001Year

% o

f T

ota

l Wo

rkfo

rce

Technicians

Executives/Engineers Workers

Workforce Distribution at Pierreville from 1977 to 2001

25

Contributions of this Research

Multiplicities of meanings coexist within a network type– Adds to the knowledge on meanings of ties

Social categories shape these meanings– Participants’ category dictates meaning

– Recipients’ category also dictates meaning

Micro theory of network ties– Processing of the tie and tie dynamics

26

Framing

Study of an dying occupational group in an aeronautics factory and the semi-clandestine interactions group members engage in to maintain their occupational identity

On the onset, homer interactions give rise to artifacts that are manufactured and exchanged but, at the same time, they are venues in which micro tragedies unfold