Embodying routine replication dynamics: an ethnographic study on the impact of the body in routine replication in the Royal Air Force

Abstract

We examine the role of embodiment in routine replication by investigating how the Royal Air Force adapted the loaded march (tabbing) routine from its Ground Combat Training program into Initial Officer Training. Routine replication required adjustments due to bodily differences among trainees, balancing flexibility with recognizability. Using enactive ethnography—where the first author physically participated in the marches—our 30-month ethnographic study reveals that routine replication is shaped by three bodily adaptation mechanisms: ‘playing with rhythm,’ ‘coping with injuries,’ and ‘dealing with emotions’. These mechanisms illustrate how bodies actively shape routine enactment, challenging conventional views of routine replication as a purely cognitive or procedural process. Our study advances Routine Dynamics by integrating an embodied perspective into the replication dilemma and demonstrating how bodily constraints and adaptations influence routine evolution. Additionally, we contribute methodologically by showcasing enactive ethnography as a powerful approach for studying embodiment in organizations.