Crime, Media, Culture

 

Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

Click here for more information

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
This Article
Right arrow Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Knottnerus, J. D.
Right arrow Articles by Osteen, E.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?
Crime, Media, Culture, Vol. 2, No. 2, 177-195 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/1741659006065405
© 2006 SAGE Publications

Exposing Enron: Media representations of ritualized deviance in corporate culture

J. David Knottnerus

Oklahoma State University, USA

Jason S. Ulsperger

Arkansas Tech University, USA

Summer Cummins

Elaina Osteen

Oklahoma State University, USA

This article argues that rituals are an important part of corporate culture. However, they can involve deviance. Employing multiple media sources, this study identifies symbolic themes expressed through daily work rituals at Enron's corporate headquarters. The themes involve risk, gratification, pride, and fantasy imagery. Utilizing structural ritualization theory, this article suggests that ritualized symbolic practices expressing these themes extensively influenced Enron employees. They shaped their cognitions, patterns of behavior, and social interaction. They also led to the normalization and reproduction of deviance. The findings of this study contribute to research on organizational deviance and structural ritualization.

Key Words: corporate culture • organizational deviance • structural ritualization theory • white-collar crime


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?