An argument field theory of organizational apologia: The case of Firestone and Ford

The purpose of this dissertation is to reconceptualize organizational apologia as a field of argument. Such reconceptualization will allow scholars to overcome the problems inherent in current organizational apologia typologies. In proposing this reconceptualization, both field invariant characteristics of organizational apologia and sub-field dependent characteristics of three related sub-fields of organizational apologia are defined. To demonstrate the value this reconceptualization, the argument field theory of organizational apologia is tested using the Firestone and Ford tread separation crisis as an exemplar.