Professor Helena D Cooper-Thomas - The trials and tribulations of entering a tournament workplace: The case of new Members of Parliament

IAS Visiting Fellow Professor Helena D Cooper-Thomas delivers a seminar on their research - 

Workplace tournaments are characterized by competitive environments where individuals vie for resources and advancement. Tournaments are particularly prevalent at senior levels, yet little is known about how elite newcomers experience and respond to such adversarial contexts. To address this gap, we conducted qualitative research with new members of New Zealand’s Parliament, drawing on interviews and media case studies. Our findings shed light on both the key tournament challenges faced by elite newcomers and how these newcomers use promote and protect reputational strategies to navigate such challenges. We also show that the most successful tournament newcomers develop sophisticated patterns of reputational strategy use early on. Our research raises intriguing questions about the practical implications of exposing elite newcomers to workplace tournaments. Is “trial by fire” an efficient process for forging effective performers, or does it unnecessarily burn up those who could have contributed?

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