'He's a battler. He's not a quitter:' the narrative framing of Jerry Kill's health-related organizational exit. Issue 6 (2nd November 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kerber, Anne; Murphy, Maggie
• Is Part Of: Journal of applied communication research. Volume 46:Issue 6(2018)
• Page Start: 703
• Page End: 722
• Publication Date: 2018-11-02
• Subjects: Organizational exit -- chronic illness -- narrative -- work; Electronic journals; Communication -- Periodicals; 302.2072
• DOI: 10.1080/00909882.2018.1548029
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0090-9882

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The abrupt retirement of Jerry Kill, the University of Minnesota's head football coach, for health reasons during the 2015 season ignited intensely emotional reactions from diverse organizational stakeholders. Our essay analyzes the public discourses surrounding Kill's organizational exit. Specifically, we explore how audiences co-constructed multiple and conflicting narratives about his departure, concurrently praising and blaming Kill for his body management. We highlight how these discourses construct complex subjectivities for working individuals who experience chronic illness. We conclude by discussing how the narrative frames implicate broader discursive struggles between the cultural values of health and work.