The Changing Nature of Organisational Rituals: Inclusion and Exclusion at the Client Christmas Party

Organisational rituals pattern the everyday experience of life and work. Yet, in a changing world of work that includes growth in alternative work, their organisational situatedness and employee focus are problematic. As such this paper draws on interviews with 30 independent consultants and their views and experiences of invitation and attendance at the Christmas party of their clients. This ritual was a surprise in the research process and part of a wider project unrelated to Christmas. Adopting solidarity, sensemaking, and agnostic approaches, the analysis shows how a seemingly innocuous event such as this was fraught with insecurity, uncertainty, fear and concern as to the legal ramifications, as well as joy and involvement. As such the client Christmas party was an event that made individuals question their relationships with clients, reaffirmed their liminal ‘betwixt and between’ status, and one that lead to them ‘doing their own do’. The paper challenges the inclusion/exclusion dichotomy in organisational rituals given that some who were legally outside were included socially, and some who were socially thought to be insiders were excluded. Overall, this paper shows that how we think about organisational rituals may need to change as the world of work similarly changes.