Dissent in Reality: A Commentary on Representations of Organizational Dissent on Undercover Boss

Abstract

Reality television that allegedly takes us inside organizations provides researchers with abundant data to consider how culture industries narrate and shape understandings of (un)idealized work practices. Within this context, we explored organizational dissent on the reality television show Undercover Boss. Recent research has theorized how dissent is a co-constructed process between dissenters and recipients. A challenge to exploring this process, however, is witnessing dissent as it unfolds over time and between supervisors and subordinates. Through a qualitative content analysis of eight seasons of Undercover Boss, we examined how the dissent life cycle was depicted. We determined beneath displays of exemplary employees and redeemed bosses vowing their commitment to employee concerns, a more problematic narrative existed. Despite attempts to highlight how employees can provide insightful, quality feedback, the program privileged showing bosses’ authority, business acumen, and how they facilitated and framed dissent messages. Dissent interactions ultimately supported executive business interests and demonstrated dysfunctional dissent processes.

Notes From the Editors: 60 Years Young and a Work in Progress

“…This publication category has transformed over time (and remains a work in progress) to embrace scholarship which is especially thought-provoking and deeply tied to contemporary practices in research and organizations. Past commentaries have addressed frequently debated topics such as CSR communication imperatives (Chaudhri, 2016), spatial influences on organizational communication (Andrews, 2017, 2022), public opinion sentiment towards the NRA’s communications (Shen & Cheng, 2022), human resources employee counseling (Gates & Reinsch Jr, 2022), mask wearing messages during the COVID-19 pandemic (Batova, 2022), the research benefits of simulated settings (Du-Babcock & Chan, 2022), and the media’s propagation of workplace myths (Helens-Hart et al, 2022). Unfortunately, space requirements confine us to sharing these examples instead of the full wealth of superb IJBC commentary articles.…”

Notes From the Editors: Spotlight on Inclusion and Diversity

“…This insightful overview—written by Jonathan Clifton (2023)—advances our knowledge about a major school of thought in business communication that has had a broad impact on our discipline’s research. From another perspective, Helens-Hart et al (2022) deftly tackle popular culture and its connection with business communication research. Through scrutinizing the TV show Undercover Boss , these authors give an incisive commentary about how mass communication media can distort the public’s view of business communication in detrimental ways.…”