Thick Description—What Ethnographers do
Pacanowsky spent 9 months with Gore & Associates, the sport clothing and equipment company.
In order to understand them, he became a full-time there.
Pacanowsky was interested in the language people at the company used, the stories they told, and the nonverbal rituals they practiced.
He recorded a number of prominent metaphors used at Gore and found a form of lattice organization. Their communication is a lattice rather than a pyramid-shaped one.
The lack of hierarchical authority is seen through the word ‘associate’ given to everyone. Different status comes from different expertise. The company’s objective is to make money and have fun.