Paradigmatic phenomenology of zombification of firms: theoretical premises and practical applications

Purpose This paper aims to illuminate the effectiveness of phenomenology in the zombification of firms, enriching the methodological rigor necessary to study holistic experiences, which are increasingly recognized as a part of the structure of today's business firms. Design/methodology/approach This study is considered exploratory in terms of methodological purpose and developmental in terms of results, which has attempted to present a paradigmatic framework in phenomenology in several steps. So, in the first step, through interviews with “18” activists with lived experience, an attempt was made to determine the propositional themes of this phenomenon by conducting interviews with open questions and codes emerging from the contexts of zombification of firms. Then, by creating a researcher-made checklist rated on the “+9”; “0” and “−9” scales, the study's second step in data collection methods sought to separate the propositions into more general aspects of the concepts, according to the focus group scores, in order to provide a paradigmatic framework by categorizing propositional themes. Findings By presenting the paradigmatic framework of zombification of firms, this study attempts to reveal the hidden aspects of this phenomenon through five dimensions: causal conditions, contextual conditions, intervening conditions, strategies and consequences. Among the main findings, the widespread problems of zombie firms were evident. The authors found that consistent support, either in the form of government grants or a weak financial framework, is among the policies that accelerate the emergence of these firms. Originality/value This paper makes three contributions: (1) Firstly, it highlights the concept of zombification of firms as an emerging phenomenon in the financial markets literature. (2) Secondly, it uses a paradigmatic phenomenological process to present an integrated cognitive framework for the zombification of firms. An approach that is novel and innovative in terms of implementation in the methodology of humanities fields and can be considered a window into the diversification of inductive analysis methods. (3) Thirdly, this study considers the combination of policy, structural and operational aspects as the core of understanding how zombification of firms occurs.