Myths in the Time of Evaluation: the Persistence of Permanently Failing High Performance Work Systems in an Austrian Insurance Company

Description

How do rationalized practices withstand empirical disconfirmation? Building on a longitudinal case study of an organization that experienced decreases in employee motivation over seven years after having implemented a High Performance Work System (HPWS) and is still hoping for the program’s success, this paper combines insights from institutional research and cognitive dissonance theory to examine how rationalized practices persist in organizations despite their obvious failure. We argue that if actors choose between different practices and put high effort in the realization, disconfirmation over several periods ends in tolerance of discrepancies. Cognitive dissonance is reduced by elaborating on the myth, seeking social support and increasing interaction with supportive actors. We conclude that if the myth offers potential for resolving dissonance, the likelihood for giving up hope diminishes despite failure.

Period	22 Oct 2008
Event title	AIM Capacity Building Workshop “Action, Practices and Institutions”
Event type	Unknown
Degree of Recognition	International