Author:
Kemp Linzi J.,Angell Linda,McLoughlin Linda
Abstract
Purpose
– The aim of this paper is to investigate the symbolic meaning attributed by women in academia to workplace artifacts.
Design/methodology/approach
– The research approach is that of auto-ethnography, whereby the authors, as researchers and participants, explore symbolic meaning from artifacts in their working environment.
Findings
– Three themes emerged on the symbolic meaning from artifacts for women in academia. The theme of “affect” revealed women as uncomfortable in their surroundings; “representation”, renders women invisible within the institution; and women felt themselves to be under “surveillance”.
Research limitations/implications
– The investigation is limited to one university, which limits generalizability. The implication is to replicate this auto-ethnographical study in other institutions of higher education.
Practical implications
– This paper implies that architectural, institutional and personal artifacts play an important role in defining women’s workplace identity.
Social implications
– Women in academia identify themselves as “outsiders” in the workplace because of the symbolic meaning they attribute to artifacts.
Originality/value
– This study on women in academia is original as it is the first auto-ethnographical study on artifacts in an international institution of higher education.
Subject
Business, Management and Accounting (miscellaneous),Gender Studies
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