Suchergebnisse

In many qualitative research projects, gaining access to research field sites and participants plays a critical role. Using a comparative study of evaluation in classical music and figure skating competitions as an example, this case study highlights some of the practical issues involved in gaining this type of access, especially in sensitive settings, and offers strategies for dealing with these issues. I discuss how my original plan to study admissions at university-level music schools became infeasible as a result of access issues and how those difficulties and needing to change my research plans became a good thing. This discussion also highlights the role of persistence in gaining access. I conclude by emphasizing the importance of flexibility, drawing on previous experience and contacts, preparing for uncertainty, and establishing good rapport and relationships.

In this article, I examine the effects of tight coupling on organizational activities through a case study of the judging changes in figure skating following the 2002 Olympic judging scandal, which have transformed skating. In keeping with research that has called for a more complete understanding of the relationship between organizational structures and daily activities, I argue that institutional theory has treated coupling too broadly and that we need a better understanding of what tight coupling looks like at the micro level. Drawing on a mixed-methods approach, I contribute to this agenda by highlighting the direct and indirect effects of a specific type of tight coupling: one that arises from rule changes and is based on quantification. In doing so, this article also underscores how members of organizations actively shape their fields through their everyday practices and contributes to our understanding of the microfoundations of institutions.