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In this essay on new directions in symbolic interaction, the authors have two related goals. First, the authors argue for the relevance of collective intentionality for overcoming the critical divide in symbolic interaction theory between self and society. In focusing on the way in which collective intentionality allows for understanding how intersubjectivity is made part of the interaction order by group members and local communities, the mesolevel of analysis should be integrated into the interactionist perspective. In making this argument, the second goal is to uncover the important social phenomenology of the early 20th German philosopher, Gerda Walther, which raised similar issues. Perhaps because of her gender, the lack of a secure university position, the financial reserves of her family, or a personal turn to mysticism, her early work has largely been erased. Today her significance and her important 1922 work, A Contribution to the Ontology of Social Communities, is being recovered, published last year (Walther, 2023). Here we highlight her relevance for the interactionist tradition and its approach to intersubjectivity.

Despite being conjointly stronger in their synergies in the past, there is still a significant gap between management and organization studies and sociology. The temporal lag is also, on occasion, a substantive lag. The emergent sociological concept of emotional reflexivity has recently been used in organizational studies. The question that animates this contribution concerns the nature of this translation, reception, and extension; thus, we ask how organization studies have been using the sociological concept of emotional reflexivity? We will examine recent seminal sociological studies on emotional reflexivity to answer this inquiry and consider some organizational studies citing these. We describe the reception of sociological ideas of emotional reflexivity in management and organization studies literature. By analyzing the differences and disconnections produced within this discourse, it will be possible to understand that emotional reflexivity is rarely addressed in emotional encounters between people and other modes of being in modern organizations. We introduce narrative fiction as a method; the narrative focuses on the relationships between humans and other beings in the workplace dynamics of a vocational school. The story tells how Charlie, a deaf student, changed his life after entering the vocational school and becoming involved with different pedagogical teaching-learning strategies. Adopting two deaf dogs, which had both suffered from past unsuccessful adoption experiences, produced life-enhancing emotional reflexivity. We conclude with a research agenda scoping further directions.

Quality management (QM) plays a pivotal role in driving organisational efforts to enhance operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. This study aims to explore the most important themes in QM over the past three decades, identifying and analysing the top ten key themes that have shaped the field during this period. This study, involving leading academics and industry practitioners, lays the groundwork for a three-to-four-year exploration of the most influential QM themes worldwide.

The authors conducted a comprehensive review of QM literature over the last three decades from top specialist journals on QM. This is followed by conducting a global pilot survey with leading academics and practitioners to pinpoint the top ten dominant themes of QM for organisations to leverage in gaining and maintaining a competitive edge.

The top ten themes of QM, as identified by authors through input from academics and practitioners worldwide, offer valuable insights for companies of all sizes and sectors. These themes serve as a guide for the successful and sustainable implementation of QM practices and continuous improvement strategies.

Despite a limited sample size, the initial findings provide a glimpse into critical themes. Over the next three years, as the study progresses, we anticipate potential changes in the results. Notably, the comparison of themes between manufacturing and services as well as large and small enterprises, remains unexplored in the current investigation.

The authors of this study assert that their research will pave the way for future themes in the digitalization era. Moreover, this research stands out as one of the most exhaustive examinations from both academic and practitioner viewpoints, offering a unique perspective not commonly found in existing literature.

The purpose of this study is to explore the consequences of brand grief resulting from the loss of strong consumer-brand relationships (CBR) and devise a typology of grieving consumers. The paper specifically attempts to understand the effect of brand grief stemming from the termination of CBR due to brand death and brand transgression in the context of product and human brand.

Considering the exploratory nature of this study, qualitative research methodology employing in-depth interviews from consumers of global products and human brands is employed. To derive further insights, the artifacts shared by the consumers were also analyzed.

The research identifies several notable consequences of brand grief, encompassing switching, avoidance, hoarding and diminution of trust. Furthermore, a typology is developed to better understand the diverse reactions to brand grief. This model categorizes grieving consumers into four distinct groups – switchers, evaders, amassers and skeptics – across the three stages of grief: onset, experience and acceptance. These findings are consistent across both product and human brands.

Grounded in theories of possessions, loss and recovery and symbolic interactionism across the salient stages from onset to the experiences and eventual acceptance of brand grief, this research delves into the under-examined consequences of brand grief within the marketing literature. Further, the proposed typologies illuminate the scantly understood behaviors of grieving consumers as they navigate the grieving process following CBR loss due to brand death and transgression.

This study examines the importance of fun in the workplace within the context of hospitality internships. It aims to determine the impact of three dimensions of fun – fun activities, coworker socializing and manager support for fun – on the perceived value of internships and students' commitment to pursuing a career in the hospitality industry.

The study involved a sample of 253 hospitality management students in The Netherlands. Data were collected through an online survey and analyzed using multiple regression to assess the relationships between fun in the workplace, internship value and industry commitment. The study also considered the influence of job characteristics, social support and work-life conflict.

The results indicated that coworker socializing had a positive relationship with both internship value and industry commitment. Manager support for fun positively influenced internship value but had a negative relationship with industry commitment. Fun activities did not significantly impact either outcome. Additionally, skill variety was found to be crucial for internship value, particularly for operational interns.

The findings suggest that while fun in the workplace can enhance the internship experience, it should not overshadow other critical factors such as skill variety, supervisor support and the presence of role models. Internship programs should focus on providing diverse and challenging tasks to maximize perceived value and industry commitment among students.

This study extends the research on workplace fun by focusing on its role in the internship experience within the hospitality industry. It provides insights into how different dimensions of fun affect internship outcomes and highlights the importance of balancing fun with other essential aspects of the work environment to foster positive student experiences and career aspirations.