Strategizing with organizational videoblogs: sensegiving, self-branding or spectacle?
Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management
ISSN: 1746-5648
Article publication date: 14 May 2019
Issue publication date: 21 November 2019
Abstract
Purpose
Despite the increased interest in video methods and the role of visuality in organizations and management, the use of video in organizations has received scant attention. The purpose of this paper is to explore organizational videoblogs as a phenomenon, and discuss avenues that open up for qualitative research. The paper examines the affordances of organizational videoblogs in a strategy context by contrasting them with more conventional corporate videos, in order to discuss how spectacularization and social media style communication is influencing social practices in organizations.
Design/methodology/approach
First, this paper introduces the phenomenon of organizational videoblogging and its implications for research. Second, it engages in a theoretical discussion on videoblogs as a strategizing activity, through three different analytical lenses: strategic sensegiving, strategic self-branding and strategy as spectacle. Illustrative empirical examples are used to support the theoretical discussion.
Findings
The paper argues that organizational videoblogging is a phenomenon that changes social practices in organizations by injecting a visual, social media type communication. Organizational videoblogs emphasize authenticity and provide new affordances for sensegiving and self-branding in strategizing, but ultimately lead us to ask whether they risk turning strategizing into an infotainment-like spectacle.
Originality/value
The value of this paper lies in conceptualizing how and why organizational videoblogs can be studied in organizations. The paper provides future research with vocabulary and characteristics to distinguish different types of video in organizations.
Keywords
Citation
Krohn, M. (2019), "Strategizing with organizational videoblogs: sensegiving, self-branding or spectacle?", Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management, Vol. 14 No. 4, pp. 465-480. https://doi.org/10.1108/QROM-01-2018-1603
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited