Order, authority & identity : a comparative study of ski patrollers and lift operators at a California ski resort

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.

Department dc:contributor.department

Sloan School of Management.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

1999

Author dc:creator

• Guild Wendy L. (Wendy Lynn), 1968-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• John Van Maanen.

• Sloan School of Management.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/39635

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/39635