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Symbols can effectively serve as triggers for cognitive and behavioral change. However, little is known about the use of symbolism in organizational change efforts. Therefore, this study, utilizing a national survey of turnaround change agents (TCAs), investigated their use of verbal, enacted, and material symbols during business turnarounds. Conclusions are drawn concerning the metaphors used to describe the context of the business turnaround and TCAs' usage and rated effectiveness of symbols. It is suggested that multiple symbolism practices should be included in organizational diagnoses.

Power and politics have long been accepted as often detrimental elements of change processes. An element of the political arena that has received limited attention, however, is the inadvertent symbolism associated with the presence of an external consultant or change agent. Presents a retrospective analysis of role symbolism of two consultants during a 14‐month change project. Using concepts drawn from theories on organizational power, stages of change, and symbolism, a framework of five symbolic roles of the external consultant is presented. These roles include symbol of change‐to‐come, symbol of changing norms and values, symbol of power redistribution, symbolic wishing well, and symbol of organizational empowerment. The emergence, significance and implications of these symbolic roles during different change stages are explored. Implications are developed for researchers, change agents and external consultants in general.

The aim of this paper is to critically evaluate sexuality and sexual symbolism within the organisational culture of an accounting firm to explore how it is implicated in processes of gendering identities of employees within the firm.

The paper uses a reflexive autoethnographical approach, including short vignettes, to analyse the inter‐relationships between gender, sexuality and power.

By exploring the symbolic role of artefacts, images, language, behaviours and buildings in creating and maintaining gendered relations, male sexual cultures and female sexual countercultures, the paper finds that sexual symbolism in this accounting firm entwines gendered power and domination, practice and resistance, in complex cultural codes and behaviours. It draws out implications for organisations and accounting research.

The paper extends current conceptualisation of gendered constructs in accounting to include sexuality; applies organisational and feminist theory to autoethnographical experience in accounting; and contributes a seldom‐seen insight into the organisational symbolism and culture of a small accounting firm, rather than the oft‐seen focus on large firms.

The stories told in organizations offer researchers and organizational development practitioners a natural entry point to understanding and intervening in the culture(s) of an organization. Informed by perspectives of social constructivism, organizational symbolism, and critical theory, examines key studies of organizational story and storytelling, identifies multidisciplinary foundations, and presents challenges to the application of story work in organizations.

Organizations develop cultural artifacts to create and sustain organizational meaning. Symbolism creates organizational reality such that assumptions become taken‐for‐granted. This paper examines the way in which symbols function to create meaning. For example, metaphor actually causes one to focus on certain aspects of concepts to the exclusion of others. We propose that the creative symbolism used in organizations can be transferred to the classroom to foster shared meaning as conceptual building blocks for further learning. Several examples of how symbolism may be used to strengthen teaching and learning in “quantitative” courses are provided.

The paper is an exploratory attempt to examine the practice of management consultancy and the cultural components of rituals, symbolism and magic in Botswana. Management consultants as catalytic agents of change remain relevant in organisational life and this study aims to investigate how they are perceived and how they perform their tasks in the African context.

In‐depth unstructured interviews were conducted with seven top management consultancy firms in Botswana, who agreed to participate in the study, focusing on six key research questions.

Findings revealed that the role of cultural values, while relevant, does not affect actual consultancy practice. It also establishes that consultation process is limited to mainly big organisations and government departments. The activities of consultants may be ritualistic to the extent of repetitiveness; there are also symbolic practices, there is, however, no evidence of superstitious or magical acts.

Qualitative data generally struggles with the accusation of researchers bias, while a sample size of seven consultants, certainly limits the generalisability of the findings, how much can we possibly learn from such a small size?

The need to reposition the consultation process for long‐term survival in the non‐Western context by inculcating indigenous values and mores was discussed as well as other policy implications.

The paper demonstrates the need for a re‐conceptualisation of what should constitute an effective management consultancy practice in non‐Western settings. Since managers are not divorced from their socio‐cultural environment their mental images reflect axioms that are deeply located in the uniqueness of their cultural settings.

The United States Air Force’s (USAF) unpaid civilian auxiliary, the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) wears USAF uniforms and performs search and rescue missions looking for downed aircraft. After CAP members miswore the USAF uniform (Cheng, 1996), the USAF instituted a top‐down uniform change making the CAP uniform more distinct from the USAF uniform. CAP members, who affirmed that they were to be motivated solely by a desire to perform CAP’s mission, and not motivated by wearing USAF uniforms, quit and withdrew commitment. This participant observation ethnography studies how USAF’s misunderstanding of volunteer motivation and the symbolism of organizational uniforms led to dysfunctional organizational change. An alternative solution that makes positive symbolic change is proposed.

Describes case studies of three organisations, exploring the role of organisational culture as a framework for the inclusion and exclusion of actual and potential organisational members. To explore common understandings of culture, methods included: repertory grid, group discussions, documentary evidence, discussion with informants, and observation and reflection by the author. Both the culture‐as‐variable and culture‐as‐metaphor perspectives are used respectively to analyse and interpret the data. A number of processes were found significant in the promotion or otherwise of diversity. Significant symbols in each organisation are explored, and theoretical and practical implications are discussed in relation to managing diversity.

The paper describes the symbolic representation of corporate culture within the context of a Hong Kong Chinese company in the broader context of strategic responses to the international intersection of organisation and management systems. This symbolic representation incorporates and indexes aspects of a Western culturally constituted world that is largely alien to one important stakeholder group, namely, the Chinese organisation membership. Such a disjuncture engenders an inhibition to an effective reading of the corporate culture message, so weakening the effect of the intended change. The paper discusses three interlocking themes. First, the issue of the emulation of the corporate culture notion, as conceived and formulated in the USA, in other cultural settings. Second, a consideration of a multi‐stakeholder perspective on corporate culture, in which it is considered as a strategic move with respect to externalities rather than the internal system. Third, the intersection of management systems which results in mutual inter‐penetrations, thus engendering responses of appropriation, adaptation and hybridity rather than merely imposition or assimilation. The author feels such interactive aspects of international business and the associated responses are in need of greater attention.

The concept of culture in an organizational context is by no means an invention of the 1980's, but there can be little disputing that it has enjoyed a spectacular proliferation during this period. In what follows I will briefly outline the major theoretical positions which have arisen, the problems resulting from these approaches, and some new avenues in response to these problems which are being pursued at Lancaster.