Lecture Title

The Dynamics of Social Evaluation Construction: A Historical Case Study of Absinthe in France

Speaker

Dr. Wang Tao, Associate Professor of Strategy, Emlyon Business School, Lyon, France

Date and Time

December 30, 2024 (Monday)

10:00 AM – 11:30 AM

Format

In-person Lecture

Room 347, Qiushi Building

Language

Chinese and English

Moderator

Dr. Chen Wen, Assistant Professor

Abstract

Recent studies on social evaluation have proposed a relational perspective to explore the interactions among various actors in the process of evaluation construction. However, a comprehensive understanding of how actors shift roles during this process, especially how the targets of negative evaluation may become evaluators, remains limited.

This talk examines the historical case of absinthe in France from the 1870s to 1915 to develop a model elucidating the dynamics of negative evaluation construction. The process of constructing negative social evaluations involves three cycles: accumulation, extension, and reinforcement. In each cycle, specific actors employ repositioning strategies to avoid becoming targets themselves, thereby intensifying the focus on other members of the target group.

This research enhances our understanding of selective targeting behavior, explains the mechanisms behind negative social evaluations, and highlights the critical role of discursive opportunity structures.

Speaker Bio

Dr. Wang Tao is an Associate Professor of Strategy at Emlyon Business School, France. He earned his Ph.D. in Management from the same institution in 2015 and has held academic positions at Kyoto University in Japan and Grenoble Ecole de Management in France.

His research focuses on organizational theory, non-market strategy, and economic sociology, with particular interest in social evaluation, organizational/professional identity, and institutional change in the service and creative industries. His work has been published in top-tier journals, including Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Business Ethics, Organization Studies, and Socio-Economic Review.