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Accounting For Change: A Discourse Analysis of Graduate Trainees’ Talk of Adjustment

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  • Christine Coupland

Abstract

In this paper I explore how graduate trainees account for change since joining a company. The participants were on a graduate‐training scheme with a large, well known, high street chain. They were interviewed over a period of six months and asked to talk about their work. This paper is part of a larger study of graduates’ work experience. The extracts in this paper are taken from transcripts of the interviews, and are analysed using a discursive approach. These stories of work events have provided an arena for identity projects to be undertaken, where identity is regarded as a flexible resource. The participants acknowledge and refute change during their time with the company. In addition, they construct and contrast their self‐descriptions with a company ‘ideal’. Furthermore, their accounts of being similar to other employees, yet at the same time unique, appear to illustrate a dilemma through contradiction. These dilemmas are negotiated in the talk through the construction and deployment of situated identities. I conclude that by attending to the detail of talk about work, understanding may be gained regarding ideological dilemmas that face new entrants to a work place. They draw on and refute commonly understood work place practices, while situating their identity in broader cultural projects. The participants attend to ‘norms’ and ‘culture’ while denying their relevance to their own particular patterns of behaviour. Accounts of learning to behave ‘appropriately’ and to avoid being ‘bloodied’ feature in their talk of adjustment since joining the company. This has relevance for the future training of graduates and understanding work place identities.

Suggested Citation

  • Christine Coupland, 2001. "Accounting For Change: A Discourse Analysis of Graduate Trainees’ Talk of Adjustment," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(8), pages 1103-1119, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:jomstd:v:38:y:2001:i:8:p:1103-1119
    DOI: 10.1111/1467-6486.00274
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    Cited by:

    1. Lutz Preuss & David Dawson, 2009. "On the Quality and Legitimacy of Green Narratives in Business: A Framework for Evaluation," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 84(1), pages 135-149, January.
    2. McInnes, Peter & Corlett, Sandra, 2012. "Conversational identity work in everyday interaction," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 27-38.
    3. Lucas Dufour & Massimo Maoret & Francesco Montani, 2020. "Coupling High Self‐Perceived Creativity and Successful Newcomer Adjustment in Organizations: The Role of Supervisor Trust and Support for Authentic Self‐Expression," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(8), pages 1531-1555, December.

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