Re-Searching Organisations: Moving Organisational Ethnographies Online

Although interest in how digital platforms affect organising processes continues to expand, there is limited methodological debate about researching digitally mediated organising. One way for researchers to explore the impact of technology and algorithms in (re)shaping organisational communication, networks, and processes is through online ethnography – also labelled netnography, digital ethnography, virtual ethnography, or cyberethnography. The core principles of ethnography should remain consistent between online and offline settings. Drawing from neighbouring disciplines and traditional approaches, this study examines what organisational netnography involves and suggests ways to ensure rigorous online research. The investigation is structured around five major questions for conducting online ethnographies: the rationale for online research – that is, the ‘why’, the research settings – that is, the ‘where’, the informants that might be found in digital contexts – that is, the ‘who’, the types of data that can be gathered online – that is, the ‘what’, and, finally, the strategies for engaging with online environments, – that is, the ‘how’ of online researchers. Six exemplar cases are used to highlight current practices and challenges connected with the methodological approach.