MY RESEARCH PROGRAM

I am interested in processes of social change, and how workers and organizations enact and sustain these processes (often in creative, contested, and unintended ways). By taking a social change agency lens (Emirbayer and Mische, 1998), I focus on corporate social responsibility and sustainability initiatives. I am very interested in the agency of marginalized workers in developing economies, as well as the professionals and organizations that engage in support of these efforts.

Empirically, I am conducting research with garment workers, grassroots organizations and stigmatized gender minorities across Asia. I have also been collaborating with sustainability managers in Europe and Asia to better understand how social responsibility is experienced and practiced across different contexts. These engagements have shaped my research into two interconnected areas:
 
1) Social Responsibility for Workers in Production Countries    
2) The Changing World of Work

Much of the academic literature in these areas has traditionally adopted a Western-centric perspective. This orientation has often silenced the voices of local workers and managers in developing economies, excluding them from mainstream theorizing. As scholars and socially responsible citizens, it is imperative that we engage more meaningfully with actors in these local contexts. This is not only to better understand their lived realities, but also to ensure that their perspectives inform, challenge, and reshape the theoretical frameworks we rely on.

Grounded in a social constructivist epistemology and informed by a postmodern orientation, my work advocates for inclusive and context-sensitive approaches to theorizing social responsibility. I call for more bottom-up theorizing centered on the struggles and change efforts of those working at the margins of society.

AN ETHNOGRAPHIC APPROACH TO RESEARCH







I am deeply committed to building theory through problem-driven research that engages closely with real world challenges, such as working conditions, poverty, and inequality. I collect primary data qualitatively, primarily through face-to-face interviews and focus groups in the field. I place particular emphasis on direct observation and participatory inquiry (Lincoln and Guba, 1985). Moreover, I employ a variety of research methodologies, including grounded theory, content analysis, and in-depth case study analysis (e.g., Eisenhardt, 1989; Eisenhardt, Graebner, and Sonenshein, 2016). 

While I recognize the significant effort and efforts required to collect evidence, I believe that an iterative and immersive approach enhances the validity and credibility of the research findings, and the impact of those I am working with.  Throughout my academic career, I have conducted hundreds of interviews and spent extensive time in the field, researching across various countries such as Bangladesh, Thailand, Sweden, Japan, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar.


REFERENCES
EISENHARDT, K. M. 1989. “BUILDING THEORIES FROM CASE STUDY RESEARCH.” ACADEMY OF MANAGEMENT REVIEW 14(4):532–550.
EISENHARDT, K. M., M. E. GRAEBNER, AND S. SONENSHEIN. 2016. “GRAND CHALLENGES AND INDUCTIVE METHODS: RIGOR WITHOUT RIGOR MORTIS.” ACADEMY OF MANAGEMENT JOURNAL 59(4):1113–1123.
EMIRBAYER, M., AND A. MISCHE. 1998. “WHAT IS AGENCY?” AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY 103(4):692–1023.
LINCOLN, Y. S., AND E. G. GUBA. 1985. NATURALISTIC INQUIRY. LONDON: SAGE PUBLICATIONS.