This book challenges traditional organizational theory, looking to representations of work and organizations within popular culture and the ways in which these institutions have also been conceptualized and critiqued there. Through a series of essays, Rhodes and Westwood examine popular culture as a compelling and critical arena in which the complex and contradictory relations that people have with the organizations in which they work are played out. By articulating the knowledge in popular culture with that in theory, they provide new avenues for understanding work organizations as the dominant institutions in contemporary society. Rhodes and Westwood provide a critical review of how organizations are represented in various examples of contemporary popular culture. The book demonstrates how popular culture can be read as an embodiment of knowledge about organizations - often more compelling than those common to theory - and explores the critical potential of such knowledge and the way in which popular culture can reflect on the spirit of resistance, carnivalisation and rebellion.

This book challenges traditional organizational theory, looking to representations of work and organizations within popular culture and the ways in which these institutions have also been conceptualized and critiqued there. Through a series of essays, Rhodes and Westwood examine popular culture as a compelling and critical arena in which the complex and contradictory relations that people have with the organizations in which they work are played out. By articulating the knowledge in popular culture with that in theory, they provide new avenues for understanding work organizations as the dominant institutions in contemporary society. Rhodes and Westwood provide a critical review of how organizations are represented in various examples of contemporary popular culture. The book demonstrates how popular culture can be read as an embodiment of knowledge about organizations - often more compelling than those common to theory - and explores the critical potential of such knowledge and the way in which popular culture can reflect on the spirit of resistance, carnivalisation and rebellion.

Accessible and amusing in style, Humour, Work and Organization explores the critical, subversive and ambivalent character of humour, work and comedy as it relates to organizations and organized work. It examines the various individual, organizational, social and cultural means through which humour is represented, deployed, developed, used and understood. Considering the relationship between humour and organization in a nuanced and radical way and this book takes the view that humour and comedy are pervasive and highly meaningful aspects of human experience. The richness and complexity of this relationship is examined across three related domains. They are: how humour is constructed, enacted and responded to in organizational settings how organizations and work are represented comedically in various types of popular culture media how humour is used in organizations where there is a more explicit relationship between the comedic and work. An exciting and controversial text, Humour, Work and Organization will appeal to students of all levels as well as anyone interested the full complexities of human interactions in the workplace.

Accessible and amusing in style, Humour, Work and Organization explores the critical, subversive and ambivalent character of humour, work and comedy as it relates to organizations and organized work. It examines the various individual, organizational, social and cultural means through which humour is represented, deployed, developed, used and understood. Considering the relationship between humour and organization in a nuanced and radical way and this book takes the view that humour and comedy are pervasive and highly meaningful aspects of human experience. The richness and complexity of this relationship is examined across three related domains. They are: how humour is constructed, enacted and responded to in organizational settings how organizations and work are represented comedically in various types of popular culture media how humour is used in organizations where there is a more explicit relationship between the comedic and work. An exciting and controversial text, Humour, Work and Organization will appeal to students of all levels as well as anyone interested the full complexities of human interactions in the workplace.

Contents:
PART I HONG KONG AFTER THE TRANSITION
1 Hong Kong at the end of the twentieth century: management and labour trends Patricia Fosh, Catherine W. Ng, Ed Snape and Robert Westwood
2 Political and legal parameters for the representation of labour in Hong Kong: change and counter-change Wilson W.S. Chow and Patricia Fosh
3 The future shape of Hong Kong's economy: why high-technology manufacturing will prove to be a myth Howard Davies
PART II LABOUR MARKET ADJUSTMENT AND INEQUALITY IN HONG KONG
4 The market at work: labour market adjustments to the changing environment in Hong Kong William Chan and Wing Suen
5 Income inequality: the impact on the Hong Kong labour force Hon-Kwong Lui
6 Women workers in Hong Kong: narrowing the gender gap Hon-Kwong Lui
7 Immigration in Hong Kong: a source of labour supply Kit-Chun Lan and Pak-Wai Liu
PART III MANAGEMENT IN HONG KONG
8 The meaning of work: the reconfiguration of work and working in Hong Kong and Beijing Robert Westwood, Alicia S.M. Leung and Randy K. Chiu
9 Public sector HRM: vision and reality at the Hong Kong Hospital Authority David Thompson, Ed Snape, Clifford Mak Kei-Fung and Coryn Stokes
10 Human resource strategy and business performance : evidence from a survey of multinational firms in Hong Kong Margaret Shaffer, Ed Snape and Frenda Cheung
11 Women-friendly human resource mangement in Hong Kong: concept and practice Catherine W. Ng and Warren C.K. Chiu
12 Women in management in Hong Kong and Beijing: between pragmatism and patriarchy Robert Westwood and Alicia S.M. Leung
13 Entrepreneurial and managerial competencies: small business owner/managers in Hong Kong Theresa Lau, K.F. Chan and Thomas W.Y. Man
PART IV EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION AND TRADE UNIONS IN HONG KONG
14 Government supervision of trade unions in Hong Kong: colonial powers, patterns of enforcement and prospects for change Patricia Fosh, Anne Carver, Wilson W.S. Chow, Ng Sek-Hong and Harriet Samuels
15 Hong Kong trade unions: in search of a role Ed Snape and Andy W. Chan
16 Joint consultationin Hong Kong: employee participation or union exclusion? Andy W. Chan and Ed Snape
PART V HONG KONG IN EAST ASIA
17 Hong Kong in context: employment relations in East Asia Chris Legget

The importance of communication for organizations has been an ongoing concern since management was first theorized. Yet language has tended to be viewed as simply a medium of communication - without language per se being theoretically problematized. This book enables a more critical exploration of the major theoretical positions on language and organization, explaining why language warrants a more central and considered place in organization studies. Language and Organization explains how various perspectives on the relationship between language and organization can be represented and explored. Concerned with issues such as power, knowledge and organizational discourse, this book will provide essential new links for a proper conceptualization and understanding of organizations.

The importance of communication for organizations has been an ongoing concern since management was first theorized. Yet language has tended to be viewed as simply a medium of communication - without language per se being theoretically problematized. This book enables a more critical exploration of the major theoretical positions on language and organization, explaining why language warrants a more central and considered place in organization studies. Language and Organization explains how various perspectives on the relationship between language and organization can be represented and explored. Concerned with issues such as power, knowledge and organizational discourse, this book will provide essential new links for a proper conceptualization and understanding of organizations.