Working at the coalface: being a miner in times of change

Abstract A case study analysis of the introduction of a new system for appraising worker performance in an Australiancoal mine is used to explore the related concepts of identity and culture that are central to explainingindividual and group behaviour in organizational context (Irrmann, 2002: 164). The change initiative wasinitiated by management following a search and evaluation of the general business environment to see whatother organizations were doing to improve their operations. There was no prior consultation with employees,nor were any attempts made to involve mine workers before implementing what management described as amore ‘scientific’ and ‘transparent’ system of employee performance management. As it turned out, this changedisrupted operations, introduced new procedures that were scorned and fiercely resisted by miners, andserved to increase levels of discontent and hostility among employees. One of the major threats that this newinitiative posed for employees centred on the issue of identity. Violations to the norms and expectations ofminers undermined the culture of the workplace and disrupted the social environment within which worktook place. This resulted in heightened sensitivity, the generation of stories to make sense of what was goingon and a series of reactions by employees to these identity threats. We examine these processes in our analysesof new empirical data and in so doing draw attention to the importance of workplace culture and the identityof miners in explaining employee behaviour in response to a managerially imposed change. We commencewith a brief discussion of our key concepts, which is followed by an outline of our research strategy andmethodology prior to presenting the main body of our argument.