Social Control of Organizational Deviance: Insights and Implications

Organizations can innovate while navigating social control, balancing deviance and potential sanctions.

### Exploring Organizational Deviance: Insights from "Getting Away with It or Not"
* 🎙 In the latest episode of The Academy of Management origin series, host Greg interviews the authors of the paper "**Getting Away with It or Not: The Social Control of Organizational Deviance**," which delves into the complexities of organizations that **break laws and norms**.
* 👥 The co-authors, Alessandro P. Piza, Patrick Bergerman, and Wesley Helms, each bring unique backgrounds in **organizational theory, sociology, and strategic management**, contributing to a rich discussion on the **interplay between deviance and social control**.
* 📚 The paper argues that while organizations often flout legal and normative boundaries, they must navigate the **risks of social control agents who can impose sanctions**, highlighting the **tension between innovation and compliance**.
* 🔍 The authors aim to build a scholarly community focused on **understanding organizational deviance and its consequences**, hoping to shed light on the **role of social control in management studies**.
* 💡 The collaborative process of writing the paper involved **extensive discussions, feedback, and a commitment to refining their theoretical framework**, resulting in a **comprehensive process model and typologies of social control**.
* 📝 Key insights from the authors include the **importance of having a strong team**, starting with an **engaging question**, and ensuring that the theorization offers **new perspectives** rather than rehashing existing literature.
* 🔗 The paper is expected to resonate with scholars in management, sociology, and entrepreneurship, providing a **fresh lens on how deviance can be both a risk and an opportunity** for organizations.
* 🌟 Overall, the authors hope their work inspires further research and discourse on the **social control of organizational deviance**, emphasizing its **relevance in contemporary business practices**.

AMR Origins Series - Episode 44 - Piazza, Bergemann and Helms

Academy of Management

The Social Control of Organizational Deviance

The paper discusses how organizations often break laws and norms, sometimes being celebrated for it, as seen with companies like Uber and Airbnb.

The authors explore the tension between innovative behavior and the risk of social control agents, such as regulators and competitors, stepping in to punish deviant organizations.

The paper aims to understand how organizations can navigate the fine line between pushing legal boundaries and facing potential sanctions.

Collaborating on a Theory Paper about Deviance

The authors bring diverse backgrounds to the paper, with a focus on stigma and deviant practices.

They were motivated to write a theory paper after years of tackling empirical projects and recognizing the need for a broader perspective.

The collaboration was sparked by a lunch discussion in Boston and a shared interest in Donald Black's work on social control, which inspired the idea of writing a theory paper together.

Collaborating on Social Control and Deviance

Gripe sessions with scholars can provide valuable insights and emotional clarity.

Building a strong team with complementary knowledge is crucial for tackling complex ideas.

The paper aims to appeal to a broad audience, including scholars in management, organizational theory, and sociology, while also inspiring new perspectives on deviance in entrepreneurship and startups.

The Role of Unique Examples in Theory Development

The authors used a diverse set of controversial organizations, like Uber and Airbnb, to spark new conversations and generate theory.

The examples were chosen for their societal impact and unique characteristics, making them engaging for readers.

The back-and-forth between theorizing and using examples helped refine the theory and ensure its comprehensiveness in explaining real-world phenomena.

The original draft of the paper submitted in 2021 was basic and lacked a clear process model.

Feedback from the editor and reviewers played a crucial role in developing the core concepts and refining the paper's structure.

The final submission integrated a process model and hypotheses, with tables added to illustrate the practical application of the concepts.

The Process of Writing a Theoretical Paper

The author discusses the challenges of condensing a big idea into a 35-page paper, highlighting the importance of removing excess content to clarify key assumptions.

They emphasize the need to explain to readers why certain topics are excluded, in order to focus on the central themes.

The author hopes to build a community of scholars interested in the topic of organizational deviance and is organizing a conference track to encourage further scholarly efforts.

The Importance of Social Control in Management Studies

The role of social control and its agents in management studies is often overlooked, despite their significant impact on stigmatized organizations.

There is a growing research interest in organizational wrongdoing, but the response to such behavior has not received as much attention.

The paper aims to bridge this gap by focusing on the social control of organizations and individual actors, highlighting the evolving mechanisms of social control and the importance of rule enforcement.

A successful research team is built by collaborating with individuals who have diverse skills and knowledge.

Engaging with a compelling research question keeps the team motivated over the long term.

It's important to give the paper enough time to mature and to incorporate multiple perspectives to avoid rehashing old literature.