Navigating the Maze of Social Interaction: A Framework for Analysis

In this article, co-authors Linda Jakob Sadeh, Avital Baikovich, and Tammar B. Zilber reflect on the inspiration behind their research article, “Analyzing Social Interaction in Organizations: A Roadmap for Reflexive Choice,” published in Organization Research Methods.

In the labyrinth of academic exploration, there are moments when frustration becomes the catalyst for innovation. Such was the genesis of our paper, “Analyzing Social Interaction in Organizations: A Roadmap for Reflexive Choice.” At the time, two of us — Linda and Avital — were doctoral students, deeply entrenched in organizational ethnography. We had reached the stage of data analysis, with a substantial corpus of interactional material awaiting exploration. While content analysis was the most accessible route, it seemed insufficient in exploring the interpretive wealth of our data. Thus, we found ourselves at a crossroads, yearning for a method that would unearth the richness of our interactional material.

Initially, we expected that studying such a central phenomenon as interaction—integral to social and organizational life—would yield a plethora of readily available methodological sources to guide our analysis. While we did uncover a wealth of materials, we quickly realized that many of the writings were challenging to navigate. Whether embedded within complex theoretical and methodological traditions, or scattered across various methods sections of empirical writings, extracting practical guidance for our analysis and making informed choices between options proved to be a formidable task.

Mapping the Terrain

Determined to decode the intricacies of social interaction for our own needs, and having recognized that the challenges we faced could be shared by other scholars, we were inspired to develop a method. Our aim was to allow fellow researchers to navigate the analytical landscape more easily, and to provide them with a framework for making informed, reflexive choices regarding their analysis (and collecting the appropriate data).

It was then, as we set on our journey for developing that framework, that the third author — Tammar — had joined the endeavor. Adopting a bottom-up approach, we identified and categorized the analytical steps researchers took to decipher social interactions.

The result? A comprehensive framework consisting of four dimensions (content, communication patterns, emotions, and roles) intersecting with five levels of analysis (individual, dyadic, group, organizational, and socio-cultural), guided by three overarching analytic principles (dynamic, consequential, and contextual).

Unlocking the Potential: A new framework for analyzing Interaction

Our framework is poised to aid scholars in the preliminary stages of research design and data collection, as well as during the analysis stage. By offering a menu of dimensions and levels to choose from, researchers can tailor their approach to best fit their theoretical questions and the empirical nuances revealed by their data.

Overall, our framework fleshes out the broad spectrum of available methods for analyzing interaction, providing pragmatic tools for the researcher to choose from reflexively.

It serves as a practical guide, empowering researchers to make informed choices and navigate the intricate landscape of social interaction analysis. Join us on this journey of discovery as we offer a tool to help researchers approach the complexities of human interaction in organizational settings.