Business and Management INK

Why Status Matters In Organizations

October 14, 2012

In the latest issue of Administrative Science Quarterly, Rodrigo Canales of the Yale School of Management published a book review of “Status in Management and Organizations,” edited by Jone L. Pearce:

That people and organizations care about status should not be a controversial assertion. In many cases, status is important because it arises directly from merit: a Nobel Prize is a powerful signal of status that grants the recipient visibility and respect, but it also recognizes “objective” merit. Yet status is not only and not always a consequence of merit. Examples of companies that benefit from high status yet offer relatively lower quality products abound. Teams often neglect their most experienced members and rely disproportionately on members with less relevant experience but higher status on other, less relevant characteristics.

If status matters for individuals, for groups, and for organizations, then it is not a surprise that scholars from a number of disciplines have studied it. The sheer variety of settings, methodologies, and theoretical groundings that have been used to demonstrate its impact on important outcomes confirms status as a critical element of organizational life. The same variety also makes it extremely difficult for researchers, let alone for practitioners, to navigate the concept and, more important, to develop a comprehensive intuition for why, when, and how it should matter. For that reason alone, Pearce’s edited volume, Status in Management and Organizations, is a welcome contribution.

Click here to read on in Administrative Science Quarterly, and follow this link to receive e-alerts about new book reviews and the latest theoretical and empirical papers on organizational studies from ASQ.

0 0 votes
Article Rating

Business and Management INK puts the spotlight on research published in our more than 100 management and business journals. We feature an inside view of the research that’s being published in top-tier SAGE journals by the authors themselves.

View all posts by Business & Management INK

Related Articles

Disruptive Technologies and Local Regulations: Policy Leaning in Venue Shifting
Business and Management INK
November 22, 2023

Disruptive Technologies and Local Regulations: Policy Leaning in Venue Shifting

Read Now
Shared Leadership: What Do Employees Think About It?
News
November 6, 2023

Shared Leadership: What Do Employees Think About It?

Read Now
Organized Creativity: Creative Processes and Constraints
Business and Management INK
October 20, 2023

Organized Creativity: Creative Processes and Constraints

Read Now
Top Five Takeaways from AOM on Business and Management in a Challenging World 
Business and Management INK
October 17, 2023

Top Five Takeaways from AOM on Business and Management in a Challenging World 

Read Now
From Rejections to Reflections: Unveiling the Role of Horizontal Linkages in Academia

From Rejections to Reflections: Unveiling the Role of Horizontal Linkages in Academia

Mental health issues in early-career researchers are on the rise: could “horizontal linkages” amongst peers help foster emotional support? Lucas Amaral Lauriano, Julia Grimm, and Camilo Arciniegas Pradilla reflect on the origins of their paper, “Navigating Academia’s Stressful Waters: Discussing the Power of Horizontal Linkages for Early-Career Researchers.”

Read Now
What You Should Know About Megaprojects and Why: An Overview

What You Should Know About Megaprojects and Why: An Overview

This article by Bent Flyvbjerg examines the misconceptions and strategic misrepresentations that routinely result in the implementation of projects for which there is inadequate justification, absorbing funds that could have been better spent elsewhere.

Read Now
Improving Well-being in Families of Children with Additional Needs

Improving Well-being in Families of Children with Additional Needs

Many families around the world are caring for members with additional needs, which can be complex, unpredictable, and long-term. The challenges related to caregiving of this nature affect not only parents but also siblings, grandparents, and other members of the extended family.

Read Now
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments