The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on organizational spirituality in an effort to distil the importance of spirituality research and make the case for the “spiritual turn” in organization studies. The paper examines current arguments for and against spirituality in organizations. It suggests that despite dilemmas and controversies in the literature, spirituality research makes a significant contribution. Particularly, the benefit of taking the “spiritual turn” as a response to a crisis of meaning in organizations may be to better define the spaces of programmatic versus existential meaning making and to gain more insights into where organizational meaning making and existential, individual meaning can exist in their respective spaces. It is suggested that spirituality research may need to build on a variety of perspectives from critical management theories to discourse studies to protect existential meaning making as a lived and socially constructed experience. The paper develops some approaches for how this may be accomplished and discusses future directions of the “spiritual turn” in organizational studies.

<p>Denna uppsats görs en utvärdering av Agerus PrestationsIndex, ett verktyg för att mäta prestation i organisationer utifrån empowerment. PrestationsIndex är ett självskattningstest och bygger på en modell för empowerment med fem psykologiska rekvisit för självgående. Testet prövas psykometriskt för reliabilitet och validitet. Därutöver testas två hypoteser, dels om PrestationsIndex kan predicera prestation och dels om ojämnhet mellan de psykologiska rekvisiten kan påverka prestationen negativt. Resultaten visar starkt stöd för den första teorin när det gäller att predicera individuell prestation, men kan inte belägga PrestationsIndex som en prediktor för gruppresstation, när man har rensat för miljöfaktorer såsom trivsel och lust till arbetet. Den andra hypotesen får inget stöd i uppsatsen. Utöver de testade hypoteserna fann författaren intressanta relationer mellan stöd i arbetsgruppen, lojalitet med arbetsgivaren och den individuella prestationen.</p>

Denna uppsats görs en utvärdering av Agerus PrestationsIndex, ett verktyg för att mäta prestation i organisationer utifrån empowerment. PrestationsIndex är ett självskattningstest och bygger på en modell för empowerment med fem psykologiska rekvisit för självgående. Testet prövas psykometriskt för reliabilitet och validitet. Därutöver testas två hypoteser, dels om PrestationsIndex kan predicera prestation och dels om ojämnhet mellan de psykologiska rekvisiten kan påverka prestationen negativt. Resultaten visar starkt stöd för den första teorin när det gäller att predicera individuell prestation, men kan inte belägga PrestationsIndex som en prediktor för gruppresstation, när man har rensat för miljöfaktorer såsom trivsel och lust till arbetet. Den andra hypotesen får inget stöd i uppsatsen. Utöver de testade hypoteserna fann författaren intressanta relationer mellan stöd i arbetsgruppen, lojalitet med arbetsgivaren och den individuella prestationen.

Este trabalho coloca questões que não são correntes nos Estudos Organizacionais (EOs). Propõe pensar a constituição do sujeito, sua relação com a ideia do governo de uns sobre os outros e como tornar a vida mais bela. Para isso, invoco o pensamento filosófico de Michel Foucault para auxiliar na mirada sobre o campo, problematizando a subjetividade, a constituição do sujeito na modernidade. Lanço mão da noção foucaultiana de governamentalidade, a forma como uns exercem o governo sobre os outros, colocando em questão a forma como as subjetividades se constituem nesse jogo. A forma que a vida assume, configura o seu êthos e, constituir-se eticamente exige um êthos belo, uma vida a se admirar, a tomar como exemplo. Por certo que, para que o indivíduo possa dar forma a sua vida, fazendo-a corresponder à sua verdade de sujeito, necessita, ele, exercer a liberdade. Daí afirmar que a liberdade seja condição ontológica para uma vida ética, e que seu impedimento se constitua em uma prática fascista. Proponho pensar isso em relação com o papel do intelectual como um agente envolvido na constituição de sujeitos, um indivíduo na condição de exercer um governo. Por isso, parto da ideia de que a subjetividade nos Estudos Organizacionais está relacionada a uma noção de conhecimento e verdade que implicam uma conduta ética enquanto prática da liberdade para sugerir que se problematize, que se coloque em questão, a prática intelectual. Considerando as formas de subjetivação descritas por Michel Foucault, sugiro refletir sobre como elas se apresentam nos Estudos Organizacionais e quais as implicações disso para o exercício da liberdade por parte dos sujeitos. Ao desenvolver o trabalho na forma de um ensaio, assumo não oferecer as respostas tranquilizadoras, porquanto me comprometo a fornecer subsídios pelos quais podemos considerar, analisar, cuidar, enfim, de nós mesmos como produtores e reprodutores de relações de subjetivação. / This thesis poses questions that are not common in Organizational Studies (OS). It proposes to think about the constitution of the subject, its relation to the idea of the government of someone over the others and how to make life more beautiful. For this, I invoke the philosophical thought of Michel Foucault to help in the field look, problematizing the subjectivity, the constitution of the subject in modernity. I use Foucault's notion of governmentality, the mode as someone govern others, calling into question how are constituted the subjectivities in this game. The form that life assumes molds its ethos, and to be ethically constituted demands a beautiful life, a life to be admired, to be taken as an example. Of course, in order for the individual to mold his life by making it correspond to his truth as subject, he needs to practice freedom. Therefore, to affirm that freedom is an ontological condition for an ethical life. I propose to think this in relation to the role of the intellectual as an agent involved in the constitution of subjects, an individual in the condition of exercising a government. Therefore, I start from the idea that the subjectivity in Organizational Studies is related to a notion of knowledge and truth that imply an ethical behavior as a practice of freedom to suggest that the intellectual practice be problematized. Considering the forms of subjectivation described by Michel Foucault, I suggest reflecting on how they present themselves in Organizational Studies and what the implications are for the exercise of freedom by the subjects. In developing the work as an essay, I assume that I do not offer the reassuring answers because I commit myself to provide subsidies by which we can consider, analyze, and ultimately take care of ourselves as producers and reproducers of subjectivation relations.

Group development research conducted within applied sport psychology shares many conceptual similarities with the field of organizational studies. This thesis investigates how the cross-integration of two group development models referenced from separate fields of study can converge to produce a comprehensive analytic model for evaluating group performance. Integrating Tuckman's (1965; Tuckman & Jensen, 1977) successive five stage group development model with Carron's (1982) general conceptual system for cohesiveness in sport teams, this thesis develops an original integrative cross-disciplinary schematic for group development. Guided by a systems approach, the analysis of this model reveals how cross-disciplinary research conducted within these two fields serves to identify mutual benefits, while highlighting the similarities and differences from both group development models. A key contribution of this study is the consideration of opportunities for enhancing current knowledge, and the harmonization of strategic and humanistic approaches to management. The conclusions drawn from this thesis raise significant questions about the potential yielded through the adoption of theoretical applications from applied sport psychology to an organizational context.

Group development research conducted within applied sport psychology shares many conceptual similarities with the field of organizational studies. This thesis investigates how the cross-integration of two group development models referenced from separate fields of study can converge to produce a comprehensive analytic model for evaluating group performance. Integrating Tuckman's (1965; Tuckman & Jensen, 1977) successive five stage group development model with Carron's (1982) general conceptual system for cohesiveness in sport teams, this thesis develops an original integrative cross-disciplinary schematic for group development. Guided by a systems approach, the analysis of this model reveals how cross-disciplinary research conducted within these two fields serves to identify mutual benefits, while highlighting the similarities and differences from both group development models. A key contribution of this study is the consideration of opportunities for enhancing current knowledge, and the harmonization of strategic and humanistic approaches to management. The conclusions drawn from this thesis raise significant questions about the potential yielded through the adoption of theoretical applications from applied sport psychology to an organizational context.

Group development research conducted within applied sport psychology shares many conceptual similarities with the field of organizational studies. This thesis investigates how the cross-integration of two group development models referenced from separate fields of study can converge to produce a comprehensive analytic model for evaluating group performance. Integrating Tuckman's (1965; Tuckman & Jensen, 1977) successive five stage group development model with Carron's (1982) general conceptual system for cohesiveness in sport teams, this thesis develops an original integrative cross-disciplinary schematic for group development. Guided by a systems approach, the analysis of this model reveals how cross-disciplinary research conducted within these two fields serves to identify mutual benefits, while highlighting the similarities and differences from both group development models. A key contribution of this study is the consideration of opportunities for enhancing current knowledge, and the harmonization of strategic and humanistic approaches to management. The conclusions drawn from this thesis raise significant questions about the potential yielded through the adoption of theoretical applications from applied sport psychology to an organizational context.

abstract: Scholarship and the popular press alike assert that, within the workplace and the world, there are distinct generational groups who are hallmarked by fundamental differences. Generational scholarship, undergirded by the priori assumption that generational differences must be managed, has become a well traversed field despite very little empirical evidence to substantiate the claims made about the attitudes, values, and beliefs of these purported generational cohorts. Scholars debate the veracity of generational characteristics, but few have taken critical approaches and noted the absence of theory and meta-discourse in the field. All the while, the over-simplified stereotypes are perpetuatued and employed in making fundamental decisions about the lives and work of the old and the young. In this dissertation, I present a grounded qualitative and phronetic study that offers a framework for a more nuanced approach to generational scholarship. Specifically, I employ qualitative methods and take a phronetic approach to examine young professionals’ (a) sensemaking of generational constructs and (b) identification/disidentification with generational archetypes. This dissertation reveals the ways in which participants made sense of popular generational archetypes as stereotypes or generalizations that exist in broad contexts of media and culture but are unconsidered in the workplace. Further, in the context of work, participants demonstrated very limited identification or disidentification with popular generational archetypes. Despite this, participants created and enacted generational differences in their workplaces based on age and tenure in the industry through the development of emergent archetypes. Methodologically, this dissertation demonstrates the utility of more emic approaches to generational scholarship and evidences the need for situated and needs based approaches. Theoretically, this dissertation demonstrates the utility of sensemaking and identification in generational scholarship. Moreover, the insights gleaned from these frameworks illustrate the need for the critical examinations in the field, and meta-discourse about our assumptions. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Communication 2016

This qualitative study focuses on the intersection of Organizational Studies and Public Health. Through the use of cross-sector work, the Public Health field coordinates work across multiple organizations to diagnose and prevent health issues. Interviewing several administrators from organizations who partake in the Healthy Ontario Initiative allowed me to examine how organizations of different types and sectors interact and connect around this project. This study will predominantly focus on the challenges they face, how they overcome them, and how they are evaluated. Highlighting the intersection of Public Health and Organizational Studies and the way a current Public Health initiative organizes and delivers services may impact the way in which the field evolves in the future.

Group development research conducted within applied sport psychology shares many conceptual similarities with the field of organizational studies. This thesis investigates how the cross-integration of two group development models referenced from separate fields of study can converge to produce a comprehensive analytic model for evaluating group performance. Integrating Tuckman's (1965; Tuckman & Jensen, 1977) successive five stage group development model with Carron's (1982) general conceptual system for cohesiveness in sport teams, this thesis develops an original integrative cross-disciplinary schematic for group development. Guided by a systems approach, the analysis of this model reveals how cross-disciplinary research conducted within these two fields serves to identify mutual benefits, while highlighting the similarities and differences from both group development models. A key contribution of this study is the consideration of opportunities for enhancing current knowledge, and the harmonization of strategic and humanistic approaches to management. The conclusions drawn from this thesis raise significant questions about the potential yielded through the adoption of theoretical applications from applied sport psychology to an organizational context.