University of Bath School of Management

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MA(OXON), MSc.(Sheffield), PhD(Sheffield)
Job Title: Professor of Organization Studies
Affiliated Research Centre: Work and Employment Research Centre (WERC)
Subject Group: Organization Studies
Key Research Interests: Narrative, Sensemaking, Identity, Change

Research Interests

My research interests centre on issues of identity, sensemaking, narrative, rhetoric and change. There are three broad strands to my work: (1) theoretical pieces (e.g., Brown 1997; Brown 2006; Brown & Starkey, 2000); (2) theoretically-driven case studies (e.g., Brown & Humphreys, 2006; Brown & Lewis, 2011; Thornborrow & Brown, 2009); and (3) theoretically-driven analyses of texts (e.g., Brown, 2004, 2005; Brown, Ainsworth & Grant, 2012). My current research is an exploration of aspects of the linguistic turn in Organization Studies, and draws on a broad range of disciplines from literary theory to anthropology and discursive psychology in an effort to theorize processes of organizing, identities and change (e.g., Brown et. al., 2010; Clarke, Brown & Hope-Hailey, 2009; Sillince & Brown, 2009)

PhD Supervision

Recent Publications 2001 to date

Refereed Journal Papers

Brown, A.D. & Thompson, E.R. (2012). A narrative approach to strategy-as-practice. Business History [forthcoming]

Brown AD, Ainsworth S, Grant D.  (2012) The Rhetoric of Institutional Change
Organization Studies  33(3): 297-321   DOI: 10.1177/0170840611435598   

Coupland C, Brown AD. (2012)  Identities in action: Processes and outcomes
Scandinavian Journal of Management 28(1): 1-4   DOI: 10.1016/j.scaman.2011.12.002  

Lewis M, Brown AD. (2012) How different is professional service operations management?  Journal of Operations Management  30(1-2): 1-11   DOI: 10.1016/j.jom.2011.04.002   

Colville I, Brown AD, Pye A. (2012)  Simplexity: Sensemaking, organizing and storytelling for our time  Human Relations 65(1 Special Issue): 5-15   DOI: 10.1177/0018726711425617   

Brown AD, Lewis MA. (2011)  Identities, Discipline and Routines.  Organization Studies  32(7): 871-895 DOI: 10.1177/0170840611407018  

Patriotta G, Brown AD  (2011)  Sensemaking, metaphors and performance evaluation Scandinavian Journal of Management  27(1): 34-43   DOI: 10.1016/j.scaman.2010.12.002   

Greenwood R, Brown AD, Lounsbury M, et al.(2010) Organization Studies 30th Anniversary Special Issue  Organization Studies 31(6): 653-658   DOI: 10.1177/0170840610372578   

Brown AD, Kornberger M, Clegg SR, et al  (2010) 'Invisible walls' and 'silent hierarchies': A case study of power relations in an architecture firm   Human Relations  63(4): 525-549  DOI: 10.1177/0018726709339862

Sillince, J.A.A. & Brown, A.D.(2009) Multiple Organizational Identities and Legitimacy: The Rhetoric of Police Websites, Human Relations, 62(12): 1829-1856. DOI:10.1177/0018726709336626

Clarke, C., Brown, A.D. & Hope-Hailey, V. (2009). Working identities? Antagonistic discursive resources and managerial identity. Human Relations, 62 (3): 323-352.
DOI: 10.1177/0018726708101040

Thornborrow, T. & Brown, A.D. (2009). 'Being regimented': Aspiration, discipline and identity work in the British Parachute Regiment. Organization Studies . 30(4): 355 - 376 DOI: 10.1177/0170840608101140

Courpasson, D., Arellano-Gault, D., Brown, A. & Lounsbury, M. (2008). Organization studies on the look-out? Being read, being listened to. Organization Studies, 29(11): 1383-1390 [Editorial]. DOI: 10.1177/0170840608099520

Brown, A.D., Stacey, P. & Nandhakumar, J. (2008). Making sense of sensemaking narratives. Human Relations, 61(8): 1035-1062. DOI:10.1177/0018726708094858

Humphreys, M. & Brown, A.D. (2008) An analysis of corporate social responsibility at Credit Line: A narrative approach. Journal of Business Ethics, 80: 403-418 DOI: 10.1007/s10551-007-9426-0

Coupland, C., Brown, A.D., Daniels, K. & Humphreys, M. (2008). Saying it with feeling: Analyzing speakable emotions. Human Relations. 61(3): 327-353 DOI: 10.1177/0018726708088997

Kornberger, M. & Brown, A.D. (2007). Ethics as a discursive resource for identity work. Human Relations. 60(3): 497-518 DOI: 10.1177/0018726707076692

Brown, A.D. (2006). A narrative approach to collective identities. Journal of Management Studies. 43(4): 731-753.DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-6486.2006.00609.x

Brown, A.D. & Humphreys, M. (2006) Organizational identity and place: a discursive exploration of hegemony and resistance. Journal of Management Studies. 43(2): 231-257 DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-6486.2006.00589.x

Brown, A.D. (2005) Making sense of the collapse of Barings Bank. Human Relations. 58(12): 1579-1604. DOI:10.1177/0018726705061433

Brown, A.D., Humphreys, M. & Gurney, P.M. (2005). Narrative, Identity and Change: a case study of Laskarina Holidays. Journal of Organizational Change Management. 18(4): 312-326. DOI: 10.1108/09534810510607029

Rhodes, C. & Brown, A.D. (2005). Narrative, organizations and research. International Journal of Management Reviews. 7(3): 167-188. DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-2370.2005.00112.x

Brown, A.D. & Coupland, C. (2005). Sounds of silence: graduate trainees, hegemony and resistance. Organization Studies. 26(7): 1049-1069. .DOI: 10.1177/0170840605053540

Rhodes, C. & Brown, A.D.(2005) Writing responsibly: Narrative fiction and organization studies. Organization. 12(4): 505-529. DOI: 10.1177/1350508405052757

Coupland, C. & Brown, A.D. (2004). Constructing organizational identities on the web: a case study of Royal Dutch/Shell. Journal of Management Studies, 41 (8): 1325-1347 DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-6486.2004.00477.x

Brown, A.D. (2004). Authoritative sensemaking in a public inquiry report. Organization Studies. 25(1): 95-112 DOI: 10.1177/0170840604038182

Lam, S., Schaubroeck, J. & Brown, A.D. (2004). Esteem maintenance among groups: Laboratory and field studies of group performance cognitions. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. 94(2): 86-101. DOI: 10.1016/j.obhdp.2004.03.004  

Currie, G. & Brown, A.D. (2003). A narratological approach to understanding processes of organizing in a UK hospital. Human Relations 56(5): 563-586. DOI: 10.1177/0018726703056005003

Brown, A.D. & Humphreys, M. (2003). Epic and tragic tales: making sense of change. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 39(2): 121-144. DOI: 10.1177/0021886303255557

Humphreys, M. & Brown, A.D, & Hatch MJ. (2003). Is ethnography jazz?. Organization.10(1): 5-31. DOI: 10.1177/1350508403101001

Humphreys, M. & Brown, A.D. (2002) Dress and identity: a Turkish case study. Journal of Management Studies. 39(7): 927-952. DOI: 10.1111/1467-6486.00318

Humphreys, M. & Brown, A.D. (2002). Narratives of organizational identity and identification: a case study of hegemony and resistance. Organization Studies. 23(3): 421-447. DOI: 10.1177/0170840602233005

Brown, A.D. & Humphreys, M. (2002). Nostalgia and the narrativization of identity: a Turkish case study. British Journal of Management. 13(2): 141-159. DOI: 10.1111/1467-8551.00228

Brown, A.D. (2001). Organization studies and identity: towards a research agenda. Human Relations. 54(1): 113-121. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8551.2007.00522.x

Book Chapters

Brown, A.D. 2009. Organizational identity. In Clegg, C. & Cooper, C. The Sage Handbook of Organizational Behavior. Volume 2: Macro Approaches. London: Sage, 175-191.]

Brown. A.D. 2008. Identity. In Gabriel, Y. Organizing words, a critical thesaurus for social and organization studies. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Brown, A.D. 2008. Managing understandings: Politics, symbolism, niche marketing and the quest for legitimacy in IT implementation. In Dingwall, R. Qualitative health research. Sage Publications. 134-149. Reproduced from Organization Studies, 1995, 16, 6: 951-969.

Brown, A.D. 2007. Narcissism. In Clegg, S.R. & Bailey, J.R. (Ed.). International Encyclopedia of Organization Studies. 3: 941-944. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Brown, A.D. 2007. Organizational identity. In Clegg, S.R. & Bailey, J.R.International Encyclopedia of Organization Studies. 3. 1077-1080.

Humphreys, M. & Brown, A.D. 2007. Narratives of organizational identity and identification: A case study of hegemony and resistance. In S. Minahan & J.W. Cox (Eds.). The Aesthetic Turn in Management. 279-305. Aldershot, UK: Ashgate Publishing Limited. Reproduced from Organization Studies, 2002, 23 (3): 421-447.

Humphreys, M., Gurney, P.M. & Brown, A.D. 2006. Reminiscing in tempo: A story of stories. In: Kornberger, M. & Gudergan, S (Eds.), Only connect: Neat words, networks and identities: 70-87. Copenhagen Business School Press.