The nature of the data from the Hall was very fluid; there are no definitive guidelines with which employees can maintain a productive working atmosphere, or with which I could make sense of the “policies” in place there; all policies and instructions are not written, but verbal. The ideology given by the owner of the company, as well as repeated by the managerial staff was, “the Hall is not a hierarchy… everyone who is employed [there] is equal.” Though the owner and managers would like to present the catering Hall as a body of workers without hierarchal tiers -- in context of the data collected during my ethnography -- it is apparent that a hierarchy exists at the Hall, and the owner and managers maintain it.
[...] Research Subjects and Definitions: Since the Hall lacks formal titles (with the exception of the Boss and the managers), references to an employee's main task or tasks are used to describe each of their positions. In addition to this, there is jargon used within the catering hall itself, which need clarification; Boss the owner of the banquet hall; one of two positions that can schedule events Wait staff a waitress or waiter, also maintains the front-of-the-house (The party rooms of the catering hall) in evenings; there are no male employees on the Wait staff Secretary the only position besides the Boss that can schedule events; primarily involves scheduling events, answering phones, and customer relations Dish Washer those who clean dishes and maintain the state of the back-of- the-house (kitchen). [...]
[...] When asked why Junior is made to remove his piercings and others are not, Tony replied, “It's more acceptable for a woman to have piercings than a and so Tony cites what he feels are social mores to justify his bias. Conclusion Though the owner and managers carry an idealization of the interaction between workers at the catering hall, their statement, and “there is no hierarchy” is incorrect. Through their interaction with the employees, their biases, and their validation of employees “finding their own place” in the Hall all represent the organized anarchy model. Based on the level of freedom employees have over their position, their ability to delegate tasks to others, and in context [...]
[...] They stated that even before Becca became secretary, she often attempted to delegate tasks to other members of the Wait staff. In interviews the Dish Washers had a similar position, saying that Becca often delegates tasks to them. Both the Wait staff and the Dish Washers have nicknamed Becca; Sergeant”. It can be said that through the unclear division of labor Becca has chosen her own position, and through the validation of Tony she is now allowed to delegate tasks to others, and thus can be considered a manager. [...]
[...] Employees who have a higher status in the hierarchy of the Hall are allowed to delegate tasks to others, and to determine their own tasks more often than others. Any employee may choose a task, but the owner or manager must validate the task they have chosen; many times an employee of a lower status at the Hall with find himself or herself being directed to other tasks than the one they have chosen for themselves. An example of this would be the dish washing staff; they are the lowest in the hierarchy, and thus have little control over their tasks. [...]
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