2009

December 
Sydney

Workshop on Discourse and Financialisation

This workshop, 'Finance Capitalism's Discursive Twists and Turns: Crisis, Critique and the Construction of Normality', brought together a range of academics from different geographical and disciplinary backgrounds to explore the various discourses of finance that have emerged, and are still emerging in response to the Global Financial Crisis.

Rather than offering solutions, the presenters sought to render the financial world problematic by articulating key questions through a careful analysis of these various discourses. Invited speakers included Professor Christian De Cock (Swansea University), Professors Bernard McKenna and David Rooney (University of Queensland).

Presentations were also give by Sydney's Professors John Roberts, David Grant and Richard Hall, and Dr Melinda Cooper.

June
Melbourne

Workshop on Discourse and Practice

This workshop was attended by over 30 members from Melbourne and Sydney, including:

  • Stanley Deetz, Professor of Communication and Director of Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder, USA.
  • Paula Jarzabkowski, Professor of Strategic Management at Aston Business School, Birmingham UK, and an Advanced Institute of Management Ghoshal Fellow.
  • Primo Garcia, a former PhD student at the University of Melbourne working as Assistant Professor at the University of the Philippines, Open University.

Presentations included papers on collaboration as discourse and practice (Stan Deetz); strategic planning as communicative practice (Paula Jarzabkowski); the discourse and practice of transparency (John Roberts, Sydney); and the role of place in the reinterpretation of a not-for-profit's mission (Leanne Cutcher, Sydney and Susan Ainsworth, Melbourne).

A number of current and former PhD students also presented papers on organisational practices including:

  • broader discourses, and identity narratives in a university (Primo Garcia),
  • work/life balance in practice (Belinda Allen),
  • how brands become cool (Lauren Gurrieri),
  • the role of artefacts and performance in a mega-church (Jeaney Yip and Susan Ainsworth), and
  • leadership and identity (Daniel Nyberg).

Following the workshop, a doctoral panel on Publishing and Developing a Research Agenda from Doctoral Research was held for all doctoral students in the Department. Panelists included Stan Deetz, Paula Jarzabkowski, Daniel Nyberg and Cynthia Hardy.

March 
Melbourne

Research Workshop

This research workshop offered the opportunity to welcome two new PhD students to ICRODSC - Nadeem Dogar and Raida Abu Bakar, who made presentations on their research.

In addition, Dinuka Wijentunga presented a paper on 'Constructing the 'unstable' mobile phone: An analysis of press ads' and Shelley Domberger presented a paper on 'Constructing a career: Comparing life coaches and counselling psychologists'.

The University of Melbourne's Bill Harley concluded the workshop with a discussion of the use of critical realism to analyse discourse.