Education and Professional Qualifications: MSc in Computer Science (1989 Birmingham University); 1st class BSc Hons in Mathematics (1988 Coventry University); PhD in Social Science (1979 London University); 2.1 class BA Hons in Town Planning (1967 Manchester University).
John researches on language in organizations. He has experience of doing inductive, qualitative research in organizations and has used a wide range of qualitative methods. His research involves interpretivist and constructivist paradigms. He has used ethnography, tape recorded interviews, diaries, observation of meetings and archive material for collecting data. He has used case studies, protocol analysis, critical incidents, narratives, content analysis, and discourse analysis for data analysis. He has used grounded theory, induction, and process theories for theorisation.
His research topic is the use of language, particularly rhetoric and narrative, in the interactive processes of strategizing. His recent theoretical work includes studies of the context in which discourse occurs with implications for organizational theories which make relevant assumptions about structure and constraint.
John recently published (with Professor Frank Mueller of St. Andrews University) a study of a senior strategy team in a multinational that showed that reframing from initial duty to capability to later accountability shaped and reflected senior and middle managers’ changing goals. He has also conducted (with Professor Paula Jarzabkowski of Aston University) an empirical study of the rhetorical practices through which senior managers influence academic commitment to multiple strategic goals in three universities.
