Masters Theses

Date of Award

5-2003

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Communication

Major Professor

Michelle T. Violanti

Abstract

This study examines how stories told within an organization help to create and maintain gender within that organization. It focuses on similarities and differences of stories told by males and females in the organization, particularly whether stories indicate a unified culture and if stories indicate a common perception of the rise of men and women through the ranks. Four locations of a major chain of national travel centers participated in the study. Qualitative research methods were used to gather data about the organizational culture, specifically, one Southeastern location was observed and nineteen in-depth interviews were conducted resulting in 136 stories. Stories were analyzed to determine if and how the culture of the organization contributes to the gendering of the organization. This study builds on work in this area that argues that organizational culture creates and maintains gender within the organization. Specifically, the study found that categories of stories told by men and women are generally the same, but the themes running through the stories are not.

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