Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management

Management and Organizational Studies

Works Count: 56831

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Description

This cluster of papers focuses on institutional theory, organizational change, and the dynamics of institutions within organizations. It explores topics such as institutional entrepreneurship, sensemaking, identity work, institutional logics, professionalism, organizational identity, social movements, and market dynamics.

Keywords

Institutional Theory; Organizational Change; Institutional Entrepreneurship; Sensemaking; Identity Work; Institutional Logics; Professionalism; Organizational Identity; Social Movements; Market Dynamics

Management research: An introduction

1992-02-01

Mark Easterby‐Smith , Richard Thorpe , Andrew J. Lowe

The Practice Turn in Contemporary Theory

2005-06-20

Karin Knorr Cetina , Theodore R. Schatzki , Eike von Savigny

Сборник ведущих социологов и социальных теоретиков из США и Западной Европы, представляющих новую практическую парадигму, своего рода коллективный манифест прагматического поворота. Авторы позиционируют практическую парадигму относительно структурализма, герменевтики, семиотики. В … Сборник ведущих социологов и социальных теоретиков из США и Западной Европы, представляющих новую практическую парадигму, своего рода коллективный манифест прагматического поворота. Авторы позиционируют практическую парадигму относительно структурализма, герменевтики, семиотики. В книге обсуждается природа практического и неявного знания, навыков и практик, которые составляют фон социального порядка и поддерживают общую для любого коллектива систему смыслов.

Strategic human resource management

2015-01-09

Charles J. Fombrun , Noel M. Tichy , Mary Anne Devanna

ENVIRONMENT, STRATEGY, AND ORGANIZATION. The External Context of Human Resource Management (C. Fombrun). The Organizational Context of Strategic Human Resource Management (N. Tichy, et al.). A Framework for Strategic Human … ENVIRONMENT, STRATEGY, AND ORGANIZATION. The External Context of Human Resource Management (C. Fombrun). The Organizational Context of Strategic Human Resource Management (N. Tichy, et al.). A Framework for Strategic Human Resource Management (M. Devanna, et al.). THE STRATEGIC ROLE OF THE HUMAN RESOURCE SYSTEMS. Strategic Staffing (E. Miller). Strategic Staffing at Chase Manhattan Bank (C. Borucki and A. Lafley). The Appraisal System as a Strategic Control (G. Latham). STRATEGIC ISSUES IN HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT. Bringing Human Resources into Strategic Planning: Systems Design Considerations (P. Lorange and D. Murphy). Managing Human Resources in a Declining Context (T. Gimore and L. Hirschhorn). Human Resource Policies for the Innovating Organization (J. Galbraith). HUMAN RESOURCES: THE CEO's PERSPECTIVE. An Interview with Reginald Jones and Frank Doyle (C. Fombrun). An Interview with Edson Spencer and Doston Boyle (N. Tichy). References. Index.

A vertical dyad linkage approach to leadership within formal organizations

1975-02-01

Fred Dansereau , George B. Graen , William J. Haga

Institutionalized Organizations: Formal Structure as Myth and Ceremony

1977-09-01

John W. Meyer , Brian Rowan

Many formal organizational structures arise as reflections of rationalized institutional rules. The elaboration of such rules in modern states and societies accounts in part for the expansion and increased complexity … Many formal organizational structures arise as reflections of rationalized institutional rules. The elaboration of such rules in modern states and societies accounts in part for the expansion and increased complexity of formal organizational structures. Institutional rules function as myths which organizations incorporate, gaining legitimacy, resources, stability, and enhanced survival prospects. Organizations whose structures become isomorphic with the myths of the institutional environment-in contrast with those primarily structured by the demands of technical production and exchange-decrease internal coordination and control in order to maintain legitimacy. Structures are decoupled from each other and from ongoing activities. In place of coordination, inspection, and evaluation, a logic of confidence and good faith is employed.

Institutions and organizations

1995-11-01

W. Richard Scott

Institutions—the structures, practices, and meanings that define what people and organizations think, do, and aspire to—are created through process. They are “work in progress” that involves continual efforts to maintain, … Institutions—the structures, practices, and meanings that define what people and organizations think, do, and aspire to—are created through process. They are “work in progress” that involves continual efforts to maintain, modify, or disturb them. Institutional logics are also in motion, holding varying degrees of dominance that change over time. This volume brings together two streams of thought within organization theory—institutional theory and process perspective—to advocate for stronger process ontology that highlights institutions as emergent, generative, political, and social. A stronger process view allows us to challenge our understanding of central concepts within institutional theory, such as “loose coupling,” “institutional work,” the work of institutional logics on the ground, and institutionalization between diffusion and translation. Enriched with an emphasis on practice and widened by taking a broad view of institutions, this volume draws on the Ninth International Symposium on Process Organization Studies to offer key insights that will inform our thinking of institutions as processes.

The teacher's soul and the terrors of performativity

2003-04-01

Stephen J. Ball

This paper is the latest in a short series on the origins, processes and effects of performativity in the public sector. Performativity, it is argued, is a new mode of … This paper is the latest in a short series on the origins, processes and effects of performativity in the public sector. Performativity, it is argued, is a new mode of state regulation which makes it possible to govern in an ‘advanced liberal’ way. It requires individual practitioners to organize themselves as a response to targets, indicators and evaluations. To set aside personal beliefs and commitments and live an existence of calculation. The new performative worker is a promiscuous self, an enterprising self, with a passion for excellence. For some, this is an opportunity to make a success of themselves, for others it portends inner conflicts, inauthenticity and resistance. It is also suggested that performativity produces opacity rather than transparency as individuals and organizations take ever greater care in the construction and maintenance of fabrications.

The iron cage revisited institutional isomorphism and collective rationality in organizational fields

2004-05-19

Paul DiMaggio , Walter W. Powell

What makes organizations so similar? We contend that the engine of rationalization and bureaucratization has moved from the competitive marketplace to the state and the professions. Once a set of … What makes organizations so similar? We contend that the engine of rationalization and bureaucratization has moved from the competitive marketplace to the state and the professions. Once a set of organizations emerges as a field, a paradox arises: rational actors make their organizations increasingly similar as they try to change them. We describe three isomorphic processes-coercive, mimetic, and normative—leading to this outcome. We then specify hypotheses about the impact of resource centralization and dependency, goal ambiguity and technical uncertainty, and professionalization and structuration on isomorphic change. Finally, we suggest implications for theories of organizations and social change.

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KEEPING AN EYE ON THE MIRROR: IMAGE AND IDENTITY IN ORGANIZATIONAL ADAPTATION.

1991-09-01

Jane E. Dutton , Janet M. Dukerich

This article addresses how individuals make sense of their organization's response to a nontraditional and emotional strategic issue. The reported research also concerned microprocesses involved in... This article addresses how individuals make sense of their organization's response to a nontraditional and emotional strategic issue. The reported research also concerned microprocesses involved in...

Symbolic Interactionism: Perspective and Method.

1971-04-01

Rosabeth Moss Kanter , Herbert Blumer

This is a collection of articles dealing with the point of view of symbolic interactionism and with the topic of methodology in the discipline of sociology. It is written by … This is a collection of articles dealing with the point of view of symbolic interactionism and with the topic of methodology in the discipline of sociology. It is written by the leading figure in the school of symbolic interactionism, and presents what might be regarded as the most authoritative statement of its point of view, outlining its fundamental premises and sketching their implications for sociological study. Blumer states that symbolic interactionism rests on three premises: that human beings act toward things on the basis of the meanings of things have for them; that the meaning of such things derives from the social interaction one has with one's fellows; and that these meanings are handled in, and modified through, an interpretive process.

Educational Organizations as Loosely Coupled Systems

1976-03-01

Karl E. Weick

Karl E. Weick In contrast to the prevailing image that elements in organizations are coupled through dense, tight linkages, it is proposed that elements are often tied together frequently and … Karl E. Weick In contrast to the prevailing image that elements in organizations are coupled through dense, tight linkages, it is proposed that elements are often tied together frequently and loosely. Using educational organizations as a case in point, it is argued that the concept of loose coupling incorporates a surprising number of disparate observations about organizations, suggests novel functions, creates stubborn problems for methodologists, and generates intriguing questions for scholars. Sample studies of loose coupling are suggested and research priorities are posed to foster cumulative work with this concept.1

Seeking Qualitative Rigor in Inductive Research

2012-07-24

Dennis A. Gioia , Kevin G. Corley , Aimee L. Hamilton

For all its richness and potential for discovery, qualitative research has been critiqued as too often lacking in scholarly rigor. The authors summarize a systematic approach to new concept development … For all its richness and potential for discovery, qualitative research has been critiqued as too often lacking in scholarly rigor. The authors summarize a systematic approach to new concept development and grounded theory articulation that is designed to bring “qualitative rigor” to the conduct and presentation of inductive research.

THEORIZING CHANGE: THE ROLE OF PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS IN THE TRANSFORMATION OF INSTITUTIONALIZED FIELDS.

2002-02-01

Royston Greenwood , C. R. Hinings , Roy Suddaby

This study examines the role of professional associations in a changing, highly institutionalized organizational field and suggests that they play a significant role in legitimating change. A model... This study examines the role of professional associations in a changing, highly institutionalized organizational field and suggests that they play a significant role in legitimating change. A model...

TOWARD A STEWARDSHIP THEORY OF MANAGEMENT

1997-01-01

James H. Davis , F. David Schoorman , Lex Donaldson

Recent thinking about top management has been influenced by alternative models of man.1 Economic approaches to governance such as agency theory tend to assume some form of homo-economicus, which depict … Recent thinking about top management has been influenced by alternative models of man.1 Economic approaches to governance such as agency theory tend to assume some form of homo-economicus, which depict subordinates as individualistic, opportunistic, and self-serving. Alternatively, sociological and psychological approaches to governance such as stewardship theory depict subordinates as collectivists, pro-organizational, and trustworthy. Through this research, we attempt to reconcile the differences between these assumptions by proposing a model based upon the subordinate's psychological attributes and the organization's situational characteristics.

Frames of war: when is life grievable?

2010-11-20

Kate Kenny

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Notes 1. Butler's work on this topic has been recognized by Stuart Hall and others as among the most 'rigorously argued' … Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Notes 1. Butler's work on this topic has been recognized by Stuart Hall and others as among the most 'rigorously argued' theoretical approaches to contemporary questions of subjection to power on offer today (Hall 2000 Hall, S. 2000. "Who needs 'identity'?". In Identity: a reader, Edited by: du Gay, P., Evans, J. and Redman, P. 15–31. London: Sage/The Open University. [Google Scholar], p. 28) and has informed studies on identity in disciplines as diverse as organization theory (Harding 2003 Harding, N. 2003. The social construction of management, London: Routledge. [Google Scholar], Kenny 2009 Kenny, K. 2009. The performative surprise: parody, documentary and critique. Culture and Organization, 15(2): 221–235. [Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar], 2010 Kenny, K. 2010. Beyond ourselves: passion and the dark side of identification in an ethical organization. Human Relations, 63(5): 857–873. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]).

Role Conflict and Ambiguity in Complex Organizations

1970-06-01

John‐Ross Rizzo , Robert J. House , Sidney I. Lirtzman

The literature indicates that dysfunctional individual and organizational consequences result from the existence of role conflict and role ambiguity in complex organizations. Yet, systematic measurement and empirical testing of these … The literature indicates that dysfunctional individual and organizational consequences result from the existence of role conflict and role ambiguity in complex organizations. Yet, systematic measurement and empirical testing of these role constructs is lacking. This study describes the development and testing of questionnaire measures of role conflict and ambiguity. Analyses of responses of managers show these two constructs to be factorially identifiable and independent. Derived measures of role conflict and ambiguity tend to correlate in two samples in expected directions with measures of organizational and managerial practices and leader behavior, and with member satisfaction, anxiety, and propensity to leave the organization.

Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership.

1994-01-01

Mario Scarselletta , Lee G. Bolman , Terrence E. Deal

MAKING SENSE OF ORGANIZATIONS. Introduction: The Power of Reframing. Simple Ideas, Complex Organizations. THE STRUCTURAL FRAME. Getting Organized. Structuring and Restructuring. Organizing Groups and Teams. THE HUMAN RESOURCE FRAME. People … MAKING SENSE OF ORGANIZATIONS. Introduction: The Power of Reframing. Simple Ideas, Complex Organizations. THE STRUCTURAL FRAME. Getting Organized. Structuring and Restructuring. Organizing Groups and Teams. THE HUMAN RESOURCE FRAME. People and Organizations. Human Resource Frame in Action. Groups and Interpersonal. THE POLITICAL FRAME. Power, Conflict, and Coalitions. The Manager as Politician. Organizations as Political Arenas and Political Agents. THE SYMBOLIC FRAME. Organizational Culture and Symbols. The Organization as Theater. Organizational Culture in Action. IMPROVING LEADERSHIP PRACTICE. Integrating Frames for Effective Practice. Reframing in Action: The Power of Scenarios. Choosing a Frame. Reframing Change: Training and Alignment. Reframing Leadership. Leaders as Architects and Catalysts. Leaders as Advocates and Prophets. Epilogue: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership.

Organizational Images and Member Identification

1994-06-01

Jane E. Dutton , Janet M. Dukerich , Celia V. Harquail

We thank Massimo Bergami, Arthur Brief, Mason Carpenter, Brian Golden, Frances Hauge, Rod Kramer, Sharon Lobel, Reuben McDaniel, Debra Meyerson, Wendy Penner, Sandy Piderit, Linda Pike, Mlchael Pratt, Robert Quinn, … We thank Massimo Bergami, Arthur Brief, Mason Carpenter, Brian Golden, Frances Hauge, Rod Kramer, Sharon Lobel, Reuben McDaniel, Debra Meyerson, Wendy Penner, Sandy Piderit, Linda Pike, Mlchael Pratt, Robert Quinn, Anat Rafaeli, Lance Sandelands, Bob Sutton, David Whetten, Batia Wiesenfeld, and three anonymous reviewers for comments on earlier drafts of this paper. We develop a model to explain how images of one's work organization shape the strength of his or her identification with the organization. We focus on two key organizational images: one based on what a member believes is distinctive, central, and enduring about his or her organization and one based on a member's beliefs about what outsiders think about the organization. According to the model, members assess the attractiveness of these images by how well the image preserves the continuity of their self-concept, provides distinctiveness, and enhances self-esteem. The model leads to a number of propositions about how organizational identification affects members' patterns of social interaction.'

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Methodological fit in management field research

2007-10-01

Amy C. Edmondson , Stacy E. McManus

Methodological fit, an implicitly valued attribute of high-quality field research in organizations, has received little attention in the management literature. Fit refers to internal consistency among elements of a research … Methodological fit, an implicitly valued attribute of high-quality field research in organizations, has received little attention in the management literature. Fit refers to internal consistency among elements of a research project--research question, prior work, research design, and theoretical contribution. We introduce a contingency framework that relates prior work to the design of a research project, paying particular attention to the question of when to mix qualitative and quantitative data in a single research paper. We discuss implications of the framework for educating new field researchers.

The Collapse of Sensemaking in Organizations: The Mann Gulch Disaster

1993-12-01

Karl E. Weick

This is a revised version of the KatzNewcomb lecture presented at the University of Michigan, April 23-24, 1993. The 1993 lecture celebrated the life of Rensis Likert, the founding director … This is a revised version of the KatzNewcomb lecture presented at the University of Michigan, April 23-24, 1993. The 1993 lecture celebrated the life of Rensis Likert, the founding director of the Institute for Social Relations. All three people honored at the lecture-Dan Katz, Ted Newcomb, and Ren Likert-were born in 1903, which meant this lecture also celebrated their 90th birthdays. I am grateful to Lance Sandelands, Debra Meyerson, Robert Sutton, Doug Cowherd, and Karen Weick for their help in revising early drafts of this material. I also want to thank John Van Maanen, J. Richard Hackman, Linda Pike, and the anonymous ASQ reviewers for their he lp with later drafts.

Sensemaking and sensegiving in strategic change initiation

1991-09-01

Dennis A. Gioia , Kumar Chittipeddi

Abstract This paper reports an ethnographic study of the initiation of a strategic change effort in a large, public university. It develops a new framework for understanding the distinctive character … Abstract This paper reports an ethnographic study of the initiation of a strategic change effort in a large, public university. It develops a new framework for understanding the distinctive character of the beginning stages of strategic change by tracking the first year of the change through four phases (labeled as envisioning, signaling, re‐visioning, and energizing). This interpretive approach suggests that the CEO's primary role in instigating the strategic change process might best be understood in terms of the emergent concepts of ‘sensemaking’ and ‘sensegiving’. Relationships between these central concepts and other important theoretical domains are then drawn and implications for understanding strategic change initiation are discussed.

Organizing and the Process of Sensemaking

2005-08-01

Karl E. Weick , Kathleen M. Sutcliffe , David Obstfeld

Sensemaking involves turning circumstances into a situation that is comprehended explicitly in words and that serves as a springboard into action. In this paper we take the position that the … Sensemaking involves turning circumstances into a situation that is comprehended explicitly in words and that serves as a springboard into action. In this paper we take the position that the concept of sensemaking fills important gaps in organizational theory. The seemingly transient nature of sensemaking belies its central role in the determination of human behavior, whether people are acting in formal organizations or elsewhere. Sensemaking is central because it is the primary site where meanings materialize that inform and constrain identity and action. The purpose of this paper is to take stock of the concept of sensemaking. We do so by pinpointing central features of sensemaking, some of which have been explicated but neglected, some of which have been assumed but not made explicit, some of which have changed in significance over time, and some of which have been missing all along or have gone awry. We sense joint enthusiasm to restate sensemaking in ways that make it more future oriented, more action oriented, more macro, more closely tied to organizing, meshed more boldly with identity, more visible, more behaviorally defined, less sedentary and backward looking, more infused with emotion and with issues of sensegiving and persuasion. These key enhancements provide a foundation upon which to build future studies that can strengthen the sensemaking perspective.

Crafting a Job: Revisioning Employees as Active Crafters of Their Work

2001-04-01

Amy Wrzesniewski , Jane E. Dutton

We propose that employees craft their jobs by changing cognitive, task, and/or relational boundaries to shape interactions and relationships with others at work. These altered task and relational configurations change … We propose that employees craft their jobs by changing cognitive, task, and/or relational boundaries to shape interactions and relationships with others at work. These altered task and relational configurations change the design and social environment of the job, which, in turn, alters work meanings and work identity. We offer a model of job crafting that specifies (1) the individual motivations that spark this activity, (2) how opportunities to job craft and how individual work orientations determine the forms job crafting takes, and (3) its likely individual and organizational effects.

Strategies for Theorizing from Process Data

1999-10-01

Ann Langley

In this article I describe and compare a number of alternative generic strategies for the analysis of process data, looking at the consequences of these strategies for emerging theories. I … In this article I describe and compare a number of alternative generic strategies for the analysis of process data, looking at the consequences of these strategies for emerging theories. I evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the strategies in terms of their capacity to generate theory that is accurate, parsimonious, general, and useful and suggest that method and theory are inextricably intertwined, that multiple strategies are often advisable, and that no analysis strategy will produce theory without an uncodifiable creative leap, however small. Finally, I argue that there is room in the organizational research literature for more openness within the academic community toward a variety of forms of coupling between theory and data.

The Adolescence of Institutional Theory

1987-12-01

W. Richard Scott

Early versions of this paper were presented at the on Institutional Change, held at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, CA, May 15-16, 1987; and at … Early versions of this paper were presented at the on Institutional Change, held at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, CA, May 15-16, 1987; and at a conference, Critical Perspectives on Organizational Theories, sponsored by the International Sociological Association and held at the Conference Center De Narwal, Wassenaar, The Netherlands, July 19-21, 1987. Thanks are due to the conference organizers: Paul J. DiMaggio and Walter W. Powell, Stanford Conference; and to Marshall W. Meyer and Ad Teulings, Wassenaar Conference. I also wish to acknowledge the helpful comments received on earlier versions of this paper from Ronald L. Jepperson, John W. Meyer, and Walter W. Powell.

Toward a Theory of Social Practices

2002-05-01

Andreas Reckwitz

This article works out the main characteristics of `practice theory', a type of social theory which has been sketched by such authors as Bourdieu, Giddens, Taylor, late Foucault and others. … This article works out the main characteristics of `practice theory', a type of social theory which has been sketched by such authors as Bourdieu, Giddens, Taylor, late Foucault and others. Practice theory is presented as a conceptual alternative to other forms of social and cultural theory, above all to culturalist mentalism, textualism and intersubjectivism. The article shows how practice theory and the three other cultural-theoretical vocabularies differ in their localization of the social and in their conceptualization of the body, mind, things, knowledge, discourse, structure/process and the agent.

Leadership and Performance beyond Expectations

1987-10-01

John M. Longshore , Bernard M. Bass

The article reviews the book Leadership and Performance Beyond Expectations, by Bernard M. Bass. The article reviews the book Leadership and Performance Beyond Expectations, by Bernard M. Bass.

Social Identity Theory and the Organization

1989-01-01

Blake E. Ashforth , Fred A. Mael

It is argued that (a) social identification is a perception of oneness with a group of persons; (b) social identification stems from the categorization of individuals, the distinctiveness and prestige … It is argued that (a) social identification is a perception of oneness with a group of persons; (b) social identification stems from the categorization of individuals, the distinctiveness and prestige of the group, the salience of outgroups, and the factors that traditionally are associated with group formation; and (c) social identification leads to activities that are congruent with the identity, support for institutions that embody the identity, stereotypical perceptions of self and others, and outcomes that traditionally are associated with group formation, and it reinforces the antecedents of identification. This perspective is applied to organizational socialization, role conflict, and intergroup relations.

Building Theories from Case Study Research

1989-10-01

Kathleen M. Eisenhardt

�Traditional, hierarchical views of leadership are less and less useful given the complexities of our modern world. Leadership theory must transition to new perspectives that account for the complex adaptive … �Traditional, hierarchical views of leadership are less and less useful given the complexities of our modern world. Leadership theory must transition to new perspectives that account for the complex adaptive needs of organizations. In this paper, we propose that leadership (as opposed to leaders) can be seen as a complex dynamic process that emerges in the interactive “spaces between” people and ideas. That is, leadership is a dynamic that transcends the capabilities of individuals alone; it is the product of interaction, tension, and exchange rules governing changes in perceptions and understanding. We label this a dynamic of adaptive leadership, and we show how this dynamic provides important insights about the nature of leadership and its outcomes in organizational fields. We define a leadership event as a perceived segment of action whose meaning is created by the interactions of actors involved in producing it, and we present a set of innovative methods for capturing and analyzing these contextually driven processes. We provide theoretical and practical implications of these ideas for organizational behavior and organization and management theory.

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Toward a Theory of Stakeholder Identification and Salience: Defining the Principle of who and What Really Counts

1997-10-01

Ronald K. Mitchell , Bradley R. Agle , Donna J. Wood

Stakeholder theory has been a popular heuristic for describing the management environment for years, but it has not attained full theoretical status. Our aim in this article is to contribute … Stakeholder theory has been a popular heuristic for describing the management environment for years, but it has not attained full theoretical status. Our aim in this article is to contribute to a theory of stakeholder identification and salience based on stakeholders possessing one or more of three relationship attributes: power, legitimacy, and urgency. By combining these attributes, we generate a typology of stakeholders, propositions concerning their salience to managers of the firm, and research and management implications.

Organizational Learning and Communities-of-Practice: Toward a Unified View of Working, Learning, and Innovation

1991-02-01

John Seely Brown , Paul Duguid

Recent ethnographic studies of workplace practices indicate that the ways people actually work usually differ fundamentally from the ways organizations describe that work in manuals, training programs, organizational charts, and … Recent ethnographic studies of workplace practices indicate that the ways people actually work usually differ fundamentally from the ways organizations describe that work in manuals, training programs, organizational charts, and job descriptions. Nevertheless, organizations tend to rely on the latter in their attempts to understand and improve work practice. We examine one such study. We then relate its conclusions to compatible investigations of learning and of innovation to argue that conventional descriptions of jobs mask not only the ways people work, but also significant learning and innovation generated in the informal communities-of-practice in which they work. By reassessing work, learning, and innovation in the context of actual communities and actual practices, we suggest that the connections between these three become apparent. With a unified view of working, learning, and innovating, it should be possible to reconceive of and redesign organizations to improve all three.

Modes of Network Governance: Structure, Management, and Effectiveness

2007-06-29

Keith G. Provan , Patrick Kenis

This article examines the governance of organizational networks and the impact of governance on network effectiveness. Three basic models, or forms, of network governance are developed focusing on their distinct … This article examines the governance of organizational networks and the impact of governance on network effectiveness. Three basic models, or forms, of network governance are developed focusing on their distinct structural properties. Propositions are formulated examining conditions for the effectiveness of each form. The tensions inherent in each form are then discussed, followed by the role that management may play in addressing these tensions. Finally, the evolution of governance is explored.

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Reconceptualizing Organizational Routines as a Source of Flexibility and Change

2003-03-01

Martha S. Feldman , Brian T. Pentland

In this paper, we challenge the traditional understanding of organizational routines as creating inertia in organizations. We adapt Latour's distinction between ostensive and performative to build a theory that explains … In this paper, we challenge the traditional understanding of organizational routines as creating inertia in organizations. We adapt Latour's distinction between ostensive and performative to build a theory that explains why routines are a source of change as well as stability. The ostensive aspect of a routine embodies what we typically think of as the structure. The performative aspect embodies the specific actions, by specific people, at specific times and places, that bring the routine to life. We argue that the ostensive aspect enables people to guide, account for, and refer to specific performances of a routine, and the performative aspect creates, maintains, and modifies the ostensive aspect of the routine. We argue that the relationship between ostensive and performative aspects of routines creates an on-going opportunity for variation, selection, and retention of new practices and patterns of action within routines and allows routines to generate a wide range of outcomes, from apparent stability to considerable change. This revised ontology of organizational routines provides a better explanation of empirical findings than existing theories of routines and has implications for a wide range of organizational theories.

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Sociomaterial Practices: Exploring Technology at Work

2007-09-01

Wanda J. Orlikowski

In this essay, I begin with the premise that everyday organizing is inextricably bound up with materiality and contend that this relationship is inadequately reflected in organizational studies that tend … In this essay, I begin with the premise that everyday organizing is inextricably bound up with materiality and contend that this relationship is inadequately reflected in organizational studies that tend to ignore it, take it for granted, or treat it as a special case. The result is an understanding of organizing and its conditions and consequences that is necessarily limited. I then argue for an alternative approach, one that posits the constitutive entanglement of the social and the material in everyday life. I draw on some empirical examples to help ground and illustrate this approach in practice and conclude by suggesting that a reconfiguration of our conventional assumptions and considerations of materiality will help us more effectively recognize and understand the multiple, emergent, and shifting sociomaterial assemblages entailed in contemporary organizing.

Managing Legitimacy: Strategic and Institutional Approaches

1995-07-01

Mark C. Suchman

This article synthesizes the large but diverse literature on organizational legitimacy, highlighting similarities and disparities among the leading strategic and institutional approaches. The analysis identifies three primary forms of legitimacy: … This article synthesizes the large but diverse literature on organizational legitimacy, highlighting similarities and disparities among the leading strategic and institutional approaches. The analysis identifies three primary forms of legitimacy: pragmatic, based on audience self-interest; moral, based on normative approval: and cognitive, based on comprehensibility and taken-for-grantedness. The article then examines strategies for gaining, maintaining, and repairing legitimacy of each type, suggesting both the promises and the pitfalls of such instrumental manipulations.

Theory Building From Cases: Opportunities And Challenges

2007-02-01

Kathleen M. Eisenhardt , Melissa E. Graebner

This article discusses the research strategy of theory building from cases, particularly multiple cases. Such a strategy involves using one or more cases to create theoretical constructs, propositions, and/or midrange … This article discusses the research strategy of theory building from cases, particularly multiple cases. Such a strategy involves using one or more cases to create theoretical constructs, propositions, and/or midrange theory from case-based, empirical evidence. Replication logic means that each case serves as a distinct experiment that stands on its own merits as an analytic unit. The frequent use of case studies as a research strategy has given rise to some challenges that can be mitigated by the use of very precise wording and thoughtful research design.

Persuasion With Case Studies

2007-02-01

Nicolaj Siggelkow

This article presents some helpful suggestions on how researchers can write an interesting and convincing paper based on case-based research. A single case study, unless the subject is extremely interesting, … This article presents some helpful suggestions on how researchers can write an interesting and convincing paper based on case-based research. A single case study, unless the subject is extremely interesting, will be hard to make interesting enough to hold readers' attention. Case-based research is often criticized for having a biased sample of cases. The main object of case studies should be to provoke thought and new ideas, rather than to poke holes in existing theories. Theories are only simplifications of a much more complex reality.

Institutions and Institutional Work

2006-01-01

Thomas B. Lawrence , Roy Suddaby

Providing a retrospective and prospective overview of organization studies, the Handbook continues to challenge and inspire readers with its synthesis of knowledge and literature. As ever, contributions have been selected … Providing a retrospective and prospective overview of organization studies, the Handbook continues to challenge and inspire readers with its synthesis of knowledge and literature. As ever, contributions have been selected to reflect the diversity of the field. New chapters cover areas such as organizational change; knowledge management; and organizational networks. Part One reflects on the relationship between theory, research and practice in organization studies. Part Two address a number of the most significant issues to affect organization studies such as leadership, diversity and globalization. Comprehensive and far-reaching, this important resource will set new standards for the understanding of organizational studies. It will be invaluable to researchers, teachers and advanced students alike.

Organizational Legitimacy: Social Values and Organizational Behavior

1975-01-01

John B. Dowling , Jeffrey Pfeffer

Organizations seek to establish congruence between the social values associated with or implied by their activities and the norms of acceptable behavior in the larger social system of which they … Organizations seek to establish congruence between the social values associated with or implied by their activities and the norms of acceptable behavior in the larger social system of which they are a part. Insofar as these two value systems are congruent we can speak of organizational legitimacy. When an actual or potential disparity exists between the two value systems, there will exist a threat to organizational legitimacy. These threats take the form of legal, economic, and other social sanctions. In this paper, it is argued that an empirical focus on organizational efforts to become legitimate can aid in explaining and analyzing many organizational behaviors taken with respect to the environment, and further, can generate hypotheses and a conceptual perspective that can direct additional attention to the issue of organizational legitimacy. This paper provides a conceptual framework for the analysis of organizational legitimacy and the process of legitimation through which organizations act to increase their perceived legitimacy. It presents a number of examples including a discussion of the American Institute for Foreign Study as a demonstration of these ideas in action. Both the particular circumstances which can lead to problems of organizational legitimacy and some of the actions that can be taken to legitimate an organization are illustrated.

The Iron Caged Revisited : Institutional Isomorphism and Collective Rationality in Organizational Fields

1983-01-01

Paul DiMaggio

The Iron Cage Revisited: Institutional Isomorphism and Collective Rationality in Organizational Fields

1983-04-01

Paul DiMaggio , Walter W. Powell

Instead of examining why organizations are dissimilar, this study explores why organizations tend to be increasingly and inevitably homogenous in their forms and practices. Organizations in a similar line of … Instead of examining why organizations are dissimilar, this study explores why organizations tend to be increasingly and inevitably homogenous in their forms and practices. Organizations in a similar line of work are structured into an organizational field by powerful forces that lead them to become similar. Rather than the causes of rationalization and bureaucratization suggested by Max Weber, including competition and the need for efficiency, institutional similarity is due to the structuration of organizational fields, a process caused largely by the state and the professions, which are the great rationalizers of the late 20th century. In highly structured organizational fields, rational efforts of individuals aggregately lead to structural, cultural, and output homogeneity. Homogenization is best captured by the concept of isomorphism, the process whereby one element in a population resembles others that confront the same environmental conditions. The two types of isomorphism are competitive and institutional. Three processes lead to organizational similarity: (1) coercive isomorphism stemming from political influence and the problem of legitimacy; (2) mimetic isomorphism resulting from uniform responses to uncertainty; and (3) normative isomorphism associated with professionalism. While these isomorphic processes improve organizational transactions, they do not necessarily increase internal efficiency. Twelve hypotheses are offered for further research about which organizational fields will be most homogenous. These hypotheses relate the impact of resource centralization and dependency, goal ambiguity and technical uncertainty, and professionalism and structuration on isomorphic change. Finally, useful implications of the study for theories of organizations and social change are offered. (TNM)

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The New Institutionalism in Organizational Analysis.

1993-12-01

Alice O. Andrews , Walter W. Powell , Paul DiMaggio

Long a fruitful area of scrutiny for students of organizations, the study of institutions is undergoing a renaissance in contemporary social science. This volume offers, for the first time, both … Long a fruitful area of scrutiny for students of organizations, the study of institutions is undergoing a renaissance in contemporary social science. This volume offers, for the first time, both often-cited foundation works and the latest writings of scholars associated with the approach to organization analysis. In their introduction, the editors discuss points of convergence and disagreement with institutionally oriented research in economics and political science, and locate the approach in relation to major developments in contemporary sociological theory. Several chapters consolidate the theoretical advances of the past decade, identify and clarify the paradigm's key ambiguities, and push the theoretical agenda in novel ways by developing sophisticated arguments about the linkage between institutional patterns and forms of social structure. The empirical studies that follow—involving such diverse topics as mental health clinics, art museums, large corporations, civil-service systems, and national polities—illustrate the explanatory power of institutional theory in the analysis of organizational change. Required reading for anyone interested in the sociology of organizations, the volume should appeal to scholars concerned with culture, political institutions, and social change.

An Invitation of Reflexive Sociology

1993-01-01

Dany Lacombe , Pierre Bourdieu , Loïc Wacquant

Strategic Responses to Institutional Processes

1991-01-01

Christine Oliver

Toward a Theory of Stakeholder Identification and Salience: Defining the Principle of Who and What Really Counts

1997-10-01

Ronald K. Mitchell , Bradley R. Agle , Donna J. Wood

The new institutionalism in organizational analysis

1992-06-01

Reassembling the Social

2005-07-28

Bruno Latour

Abstract Reassembling the Social is a fundamental challenge from one of the world’s leading social theorists to how we understand society and the ‘social ‘. Bruno Latour’s contention is that … Abstract Reassembling the Social is a fundamental challenge from one of the world’s leading social theorists to how we understand society and the ‘social ‘. Bruno Latour’s contention is that the word ‘social’, as used by Social Scientists, has become laden with assumptions to the point where it has become misnomer. When the adjective is applied to a phenomenon, it is used to indicate a stablilized state of affairs, a bundle of ties that in due course may be used to account for another phenomenon. But Latour also finds the word used as if it described a type of material, in a comparable way to an adjective such as ‘wooden’ or ‘steely ‘. Rather than simply indicating what is already assembled together, it is now used in a way that makes assumptions about the nature of what is assembled. It has become a word that designates two distinct things: a process of assembling; and a type of material, distinct from others. Latour shows why ‘the social’ cannot be thought of as a kind of material or domain, and disputes attempts to provide a ‘social explanations’ of other states of affairs. While these attempts have been productive (and probably necessary) in the past, the very success of the social sciences mean that they are largely no longer so. At the present stage it is no longer possible to inspect the precise constituents entering the social domain. Latour returns to the original meaning of ‘the social’ to redefine the notion, and allow it to trace connections again. It will then be possible to resume the traditional goal of the social sciences, but using more refined tools. Drawing on his extensive work examining the ‘assemblages’ of nature, Latour finds it necessary to scrutinize thoroughly the exact content of what is assembled under the umbrella of Society. This approach, a ‘sociology of associations’, has become known as Actor-Network-Theory, and this book is an essential introduction both for those seeking to understand Actor-Network Theory, or the ideas of one of its most influential proponents.

EMBODIED PRESENCING LEADERSHIP

2025-06-25

Ute Weber-Woisetschlager | International journal of presencing leadership & coaching.

This article explores the practice of Embodied Presencing Leadership within the experiential framework of the Integral Art Lab, a creative and consciousness-based process developed in collaboration with the Presencing Institute. … This article explores the practice of Embodied Presencing Leadership within the experiential framework of the Integral Art Lab, a creative and consciousness-based process developed in collaboration with the Presencing Institute. Designed for leaders navigating complexity, the Integral Art Lab uses the medium of visual art to activate sensory awareness, inspire creativity, and cultivate qualities of appreciation, dignity, and interconnectedness. Through carefully facilitated processes, both individual and collective dimensions of embodied leadership are awakened. Participants engage in practices that deepen perception, align inner and outer awareness, and support the emergence of new insights from subtle, often overlooked, dimensions of experience. As this work unfolds, a form of collective leadership begins to emerge that operates like a unified, living organism attuned to the deeper intelligence of life. The article proposes that Embodied Presencing Leadership, when practiced in alignment with Source and shared among a consciously attuned group, can support a more dignified and co-creative coexistence with all forms of life.

Institutional Isomorphism And ESG Signalling: A Cross-National Examination Of Strategic Conformity In Sustainability Narratives

2025-06-25

Joey F. George , B Soumya , C K Reshma +2 more | American Journal of Psychiatric Rehabilitation

PRESENCING EMBODIED LEADERSHIP

2025-06-25

David Young | International journal of presencing leadership & coaching.

For presencing leadership to become a deeply embodied way of being, the practice of trauma presencing must be consciously integrated within embodiment practices. Without this integration, practitioners risk misinterpreting unresolved … For presencing leadership to become a deeply embodied way of being, the practice of trauma presencing must be consciously integrated within embodiment practices. Without this integration, practitioners risk misinterpreting unresolved trauma, remaining unaware of its presence, mis-attuning to trauma in themselves and others, or becoming hyper- or hypo-activated in trauma-related time loops. As these risks often go unrecognized, practitioners may inadvertently address only surface-level symptoms while missing subtler, unresolved trauma processes. This article highlights the importance of trauma presencing in the development of presencing leadership and calls for a deeper examination of disembodiment as a somatic phenomenon that can be integrated through trauma-sensitive practices. By examining trauma as a “blind spot” in the body and field, this work explores trauma’s time-looped, relational nature within the soma as processes that can be felt, synchronized with, and integrated. Trauma presencing enhances embodiment capacities, allowing presencing leadership to emerge as a deeply lived experience on individual and collective levels.

EMBODIED LEADERSHIP THROUGH PRESENCING

2025-06-25

Colin Skelton | International journal of presencing leadership & coaching.

This article explores the vital role of embodied awareness in presencing leadership, challenging the enduring cultural bias that privileges intellectualism over the body's innate intelligence in how we understand leadership … This article explores the vital role of embodied awareness in presencing leadership, challenging the enduring cultural bias that privileges intellectualism over the body's innate intelligence in how we understand leadership and human potential. Drawing on theatre-making traditions and contemporary leadership practices, it introduces the concept of dual intelligence via the embodied and conceptual, examining how their integration enhances presence, adaptability, and leadership effectiveness. Central to this exploration are three channels of sensory awareness: exteroception, proprioception, and interoception. Through examples from both theatre and leadership, the article shows how cultivating embodied awareness can result in more authentic, responsive, and impactful leadership. Emphasis is placed on centering and other regular embodiment practices as tools for deepening somatic intelligence and sustaining presence. The article further considers imagination as a bridge between conceptual and embodied knowing, proposing that when imaginative capacity is grounded in sensory awareness, it can catalyze both personal and collective transformation. By confronting the prevailing bias towards intellect, this work advocates for a more integrated, sensory-based approach to leadership. Particularly, one that builds resilience and capacity for leading holistically in today’s complex and evolving environments.

Learning from own and others’ success and failure

2025-06-24

Michael A. Lapré | Oxford University Press eBooks

Abstract Numerous learning-curve studies have found seemingly conflicting empirical evidence for learning from own and others’ success and failure experiences. A recent paper introduced an organizational spectrum to explain differences … Abstract Numerous learning-curve studies have found seemingly conflicting empirical evidence for learning from own and others’ success and failure experiences. A recent paper introduced an organizational spectrum to explain differences in observed individual learning effects. Differences in frequency of success (and thus failure) and competitiveness can explain and reconcile differential findings. Similarly, this chapter uses the organizational spectrum to explain differences in observed organizational learning effects. Three consistent patterns emerge. As success becomes more frequent and less competitive, (i) the likelihood of learning from others’ success decreases, (ii) the likelihood of learning from own failure decreases, and (iii) the likelihood of learning from others’ failure increases. These patterns hold across contexts including surgery, Formula One racing, global orbital launch vehicles, freight railroad, airlines, nursing homes, and banks.

Accounting and post-colonial Resistance: Affective ambivalence in the international development assemblage

2025-06-24

Nelson Javier Dueñas Gil | Accounting Organizations and Society

Humorous anecdotes and personified dramatization: how managers and the media discursively legitimize organizational change

2025-06-24

Riku Reunamäki , Hannakaisa Länsisalmi | Journal of Organizational Change Management

Purpose When introducing new ideas, a critical issue for top managers is to establish and maintain the legitimacy of the change they bring about. In this study, we explore how … Purpose When introducing new ideas, a critical issue for top managers is to establish and maintain the legitimacy of the change they bring about. In this study, we explore how top managers can discursively legitimize organizational change by establishing a change narrative in interviews and media appearances. We also investigate the role of the media as an influential actor in and of itself in this legitimation process and compare and contrast its legitimation strategies with those of the top managers. Design/methodology/approach We undertook a case study of the adoption of the “agile” management fashion in the largest financial organization in Finland. We conducted seven interviews with its top management and collected over one hundred media texts of the organizational change, of which we selected the 36 most relevant for critical discourse analysis. Findings We found that the top management legitimized the adoption of agile and the accompanying organizational change through humorous anecdotes and an overarching narrative that presented “the new organization” and its agile culture as superior to “the old organization” and its hierarchical culture. We also found that the media dramatized and personified the change as “the old CEO vs. the new CEO,” which complemented – and at times, complicated – the top management’s strategies of legitimation. Originality/value We extend the framework of discursive legitimation strategies and contribute by uncovering how managers and the media can discursively legitimize organizational change and by examining their interaction. We also contribute by presenting the media as an influential discursive actor in its own right within the legitimizing process, not merely as a broadcaster of managerial discourse. Our study underscores the importance of coherent communication from top management and the potential impact of media narratives on the success of organizational change initiatives.

Ethics regulation and sociology in France

2025-06-24

Robert Dingwall , Carine Vassy | Research Ethics

The French research ecosystem long resisted extending the ethics regulation processes established for biomedical science into the social sciences. This is now changing. This history of resistance is examined, together … The French research ecosystem long resisted extending the ethics regulation processes established for biomedical science into the social sciences. This is now changing. This history of resistance is examined, together with the alternatives proposed. These include self-regulation by professional associations. Consideration is also given to the wider legal environment for French social sciences, particularly the laws on defamation and privacy, which also influence the opportunities for research and for the pursuit of grievances by participants. The introduction of ethics regulation, through IRB-style committees in universities and research organizations, reflects isomorphic pressures from the international research community, reinforced by the impact of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) on the application of national privacy law. Nevertheless, outside the specific domain of health-related research, ethics regulation still sits more lightly on French social science than in the anglosphere.

Avoiding opportunism and conflict in buyer and seller partnerships through trust, commitment and satisfaction

2025-06-23

Jyh-Liang Guan , T. S. Lee , Carlos Ferro‐Soto +2 more | Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics

Purpose This study aims to examine the role that satisfaction plays between positive alter egos (i.e. commitment and trust) and negative alter egos (i.e. conflict and opportunism) in buyer and … Purpose This study aims to examine the role that satisfaction plays between positive alter egos (i.e. commitment and trust) and negative alter egos (i.e. conflict and opportunism) in buyer and seller partnerships. Design/methodology/approach A theoretical model is tested from data sets of seller and buyer business-to-business (B2B) partnerships in Taiwan. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 28.0 for descriptive statistics and AMOS 28.0 for structural equation modeling. Findings The measurement and structural models display convergent, discriminant and nomological validity and reliability in the tested alter ego theoretical model of antecedents and postcedents to satisfaction. Research limitations/implications The alter ego research model contributes theoretically and practically to literature and practice. It supports the structural properties, formalizing the nomological framework. Importantly, it is supported in both buyer-and-seller B2B partnerships at the same time, which has not been done previously in existing research. Practical implications It provides a platform of reduced troubles and uncertainties for buyers and sellers as the durability of the B2B partnerships may increase. It plays a role in priorities with the other party as well, and more time may be invested in the B2B partnerships by the parties. Originality/value The alter ego theoretical model tested in seller–buyer B2B partnerships provides arguments for bridging positive and negative alter egos through the mediator role of satisfaction in B2B relations. This model enhances our understanding of business relationships by integrating both positively and negatively loaded concepts. It effectively contextualizes the interplay between beneficial factors like trust and commitment alongside detrimental ones such as opportunism and conflict.

Expedient Hybridization: A Case Study of Corporate Professionalization of Maternal and Newborn Care in China

2025-06-23

Yang Jian , Suowei Xiao | Gender Work and Organization

ABSTRACT This article examines the corporate professionalization of care work in China's maternal and newborn care industry—a traditionally low‐status domain employing primarily women. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork and interviews with … ABSTRACT This article examines the corporate professionalization of care work in China's maternal and newborn care industry—a traditionally low‐status domain employing primarily women. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork and interviews with managers, care workers, and clients, this article introduces the concept of “expedient hybridization”—a pragmatic and ethically ambivalent blending of culturally valued, masculinized attributes (such as abstract knowledge) with devalued feminized elements (such as emotional labor) in the corporate professional project aimed at achieving market value and client satisfaction. Although this approach incorporates feminized labor that is often marginalized in professionalization processes, it ultimately reinforces gender hierarchies by prioritizing masculinized traits for market appeal and exploiting feminized labor as a tool of discipline. The study offers new insights into emerging forms of professionalism among a lower‐educated female workforce in a cross‐cultural context, and it extends scholarship on both corporate professionalism and the professionalization of care work.

Valuing patients’ experiential knowledge in the development of medical practices: the example of cancer follow-up care

2025-06-23

Alexandra Le Chaffotec , Judith Partouche‐Sebban , Alain Tolédano | Journal of strategy and management

Purpose We analyze how experiential knowledge can be created, enhanced and used through inbound flows of knowledge from lay patients to healthcare professional and how they are likely to change … Purpose We analyze how experiential knowledge can be created, enhanced and used through inbound flows of knowledge from lay patients to healthcare professional and how they are likely to change medical practice. Design/methodology/approach We analyze the concept of experiential knowledge through the theoretical framework of knowledge management and the socialization, externalization, combination and internalization (SECI) model, considering experiential knowledge as one of the facets of tacit knowledge. To conduct this analysis, we have chosen to place the context of this experiential knowledge of the patient in the field of health. We conducted a case study in a French healthcare organization that provides follow-up care for cancer patients. Findings We show that experiential knowledge has several facets, that there are favorable and unfavorable conditions for the emergence of experiential knowledge and that experiential knowledge can transform some practices in the provision of care by healthcare professionals when they implement experiential knowledge in their care provision. Originality/value We show several results that contribute to improving knowledge about the concept of experiential knowledge. Our analysis and findings contribute to understand how to grasp the value of experiential knowledge. To our knowledge, there is as yet no work that has attempted to understand the impact of experiential knowledge on changes in care delivery practices and their adaptation to patients' needs. We also contribute to discussing the SECI model through the prism of the concept of unconscious tacit knowledge and of the tension between lay and expert knowledge and the intertwined knowledge of patient and practitioner.

Critical Management Studies: From One‐Dimensional Critique to Three‐Dimensional Scepticism

2025-06-22

Mats Alvesson , André Spicer | Journal of Management Studies

Abstract Critical Management Studies (CMS) has largely relied on one‐dimensional critique which focus on the negation of a dominant social order. This strong focus has made the field increasingly stale … Abstract Critical Management Studies (CMS) has largely relied on one‐dimensional critique which focus on the negation of a dominant social order. This strong focus has made the field increasingly stale and preoccupied with standard objects for critique. This paper suggests that if CMS is to move beyond these problems, it needs to develop three‐dimensional thinking, including understanding, questioning, and reparation. Drawing on the idea of ‘reparative critique’ (Sedgwick, 1997), we outline what this looks like in practice and how it might be done by practitioners of CMS. We argue that reparative critique involves three steps of understanding, developed through empirical inquiry relaxing assumptions and thick description, critique developed through exploring dilemmas and examining ironies, and reparation which is created through deflation and concept creation. By working through these three steps, we think it is possible for CMS to move beyond identifying the ‘dark side’ and begin to identify positive visions for the future of management.

Multifunctional organisation — a systems-theoretical concept and its practical implications

2025-06-22

Stephan Roth , Augusto Sales | Kybernetes

Purpose This Theory Transfer and Impact Article addresses a paradox in how organisations are observed and theorised: while governments are assumed to be political, schools educational, and firms economic, these … Purpose This Theory Transfer and Impact Article addresses a paradox in how organisations are observed and theorised: while governments are assumed to be political, schools educational, and firms economic, these same organisations often act across multiple functional domains—accumulating capital, performing research, or exercising power. The article proposes the concept of the multifunctional organisation to make sense of this paradox and to reorient organisational theory and practice toward a more realistic and functionally unbiased understanding of organisational complexity. Design/methodology/approach The article reframes organisations as multifunctional systems that selectively process the codes of multiple function systems. It builds on existing systems theory in the tradition of Niklas Luhmann, recent empirical studies, and applied frameworks to transfer this theoretical insight into practical management implications. Findings The multifunctional perspective reverses the prevailing analytical bias: instead of treating functional plurality as a special case, it proposes a multifunctional turn—one that assumes multifunctionality as the norm and recasts monofunctionality as a rare and revealing exception. This lens provides new tools for organisational profiling, stakeholder analysis, and environmental scanning across function systems, offering strategic and policy-relevant insights. Originality/value The article pioneers a new line of observation in organisation studies by systematically linking systems theory with practical diagnostics for leadership, organisation design, and strategy. It contributes to the decentring of political-economic bias in management models and invites researchers and practitioners to rethink the nature and function of organisations under conditions of societal complexity.

Hierarchy, democracy and action learning

2025-06-21

John Edmonstone | Action Learning Research and Practice

The role of leadership identity in business and public sectors: a content analysis approach

2025-06-20

Sevinç Engin , Fevzi Kasap | Frontiers in Psychology

Background Leadership is a multifaceted concept shaped by professional, cultural, and organizational contexts. This study examines how business leaders conceptualize leadership and its influence on the construction of leadership identities. … Background Leadership is a multifaceted concept shaped by professional, cultural, and organizational contexts. This study examines how business leaders conceptualize leadership and its influence on the construction of leadership identities. By focusing on sector-specific perspectives, the research highlights the varying definitions and roles of leadership across different professional environments. Method A qualitative approach was employed to analyze leadership narratives from 71 participants, including CEOs, entrepreneurs, media professionals, politicians, and bureaucrats. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, and content analysis was used to identify themes and patterns in how leaders perceive and define their roles. Results The findings reveal sectoral variations in leadership conceptualizations. Business leaders and entrepreneurs emphasize innovation, success, and strategic thinking. Journalists and media professionals prioritize influence and communication, while bureaucrats and politicians focus on ethics, public service, and societal values. These distinct perspectives demonstrate how leadership identities are shaped by the normative pressures and expectations of different professional contexts. Conclusion The study underscores the contextual nature of leadership perceptions and their role in shaping leadership identity. It provides valuable insights into how leadership is constructed and understood across sectors, contributing to leadership theory and practice. Future research should expand the scope to include a wider range of professional groups and conduct comparative analyses to deepen understanding of the factors influencing leadership development.

Revisioning the generalized other in symbolic interactionist theory

2025-06-17

Thomas Janoski | Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks

Evolving Reflexive Thematic Analysis in Knowledge Management Research

2025-06-17

Paul McManus , Serge Basini , Aidan O’Driscoll | European Conference on Research Methodology for Business and Management Studies

This paper presents a novel approach to the coding practices of Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA). The paper offers a working sample from a study exploring Knowledge-sharing (KS) intentions and behaviours … This paper presents a novel approach to the coding practices of Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA). The paper offers a working sample from a study exploring Knowledge-sharing (KS) intentions and behaviours of employees within a non-profit organisation. It is claimed that foundational coding practices inform analysts about the creation of reflexive codes. Referred to as ‘the coding family’, these methodological practices provide a set of conceptual tools that underscore the iterative and dynamic nature of qualitative data analysis. All of which culminate in theme generation. The paper focuses on the iterative and flexible approach that leads to the development of themes. Significantly, the paper presents an understanding of the organisational ecosystem by introducing what is termed ‘Axial Connections’. These axial connections highlight the dynamic nature of organisational constructs that influence employee KS intentions and behaviour. Twelve axial connections are derived from and generated by the coding family practices illustrated within this paper. The rationale behind this evolved approach is to attempt to reconcile Braun and Clarke’s playful cry to “be reflexive, be be reflexive!” as it continues to be a cause of concern for novice researchers and experienced academics. The method provided aims to ensure that the analytical process remains aligned with the ‘guidelines’ of RTA. It is proposed that the analytical method of interpreting and understanding data begins with acknowledging the emotional connection a participant has towards a given interview question. As part of the coding family, emotions convey different meanings, leading to different interpretations. Additionally, values coding and In-Vivo coding represent valid members that ultimately lead to interpretive reflexive coding. Values coding relates to the participants’ worldviews, portraying the values participants hold towards various experiences. Values are fundamentally connected to emotions, and emotions are deeply connected to values. Conversely, In-Vivo or verbatim coding is considered acceptable, as it can convey meaning that aligns with that of the researcher. By providing a foundational coding approach, this paper aims to reduce the ambiguity surrounding coding within the School of RTA. Notably, the working example demonstrates how the 12 axial connections interact with one another to influence the KS intentions and behaviour of the employee. Finally, it will be shown how the employees perceive the axial connections in different ways, resulting in different outcomes towards their willingness to KS.

Navigating Positionality in Economics and Management Research: Ethical and Practical Considerations

2025-06-17

Noel J. Pearse , Jen Snowball , Fiona Drummond | European Conference on Research Methodology for Business and Management Studies

Positionality in research refers to where the researcher stands relative to “the other” at a particular moment in time and space, and is sometimes described as the researcher being an … Positionality in research refers to where the researcher stands relative to “the other” at a particular moment in time and space, and is sometimes described as the researcher being an insider or an outsider. However, it is a complex and multifaceted concept and also takes into account the type of research being conducted, the phases of research, the dynamic context of the research setting, and the social construction of the identities and personae of individuals. Researcher reflexivity is required before, during, and after the research process to deal with the ethical and practical issues associated with positionality. The concept of positionality is well-established in some disciplines but has typically been given less consideration in economics and management studies, even though ethical and practical concerns related to positionality may arise. This neglect is also evident in there being few research studies exploring how positionality is navigated in these disciplines. This research addresses this neglect by presenting an example of how a multidisciplinary economics and management research team dealt with an incident of dynamic positionality. The aim is to illustrate how a research team applied reflexivity to dynamic positionality during research on a business incubation project, where the NGO within which the research was being undertaken provided far greater access to data than initially envisaged by the research team. Using a combination of reflexive procedures and principles as the research method, an illustrative case study is produced, describing the reflexivity of the research team and how they adjusted their positionality. The study identifies ethical and practical considerations in shifting identities, roles and positionality, highlighting the importance of reflexive practice in economics and management research. It also illustrates the value of combining four levels of positioning with various positionality personae into a framework to inform the reflexive practice of a multidisciplinary research team.

Coping With Competing Institutional Logics in Policy Implementation

2025-06-17

Manlin Xiao , Xueyong Zhan , Arnaud Cudennec | Governance

ABSTRACT While recent research has studied the coping behaviors of street‐level bureaucrats (SLBs), less attention has been paid to the institutional antecedents of these coping behaviors. This paper examines how … ABSTRACT While recent research has studied the coping behaviors of street‐level bureaucrats (SLBs), less attention has been paid to the institutional antecedents of these coping behaviors. This paper examines how macro‐level institutional factors—specifically, competing institutional logics—shape SLBs' meso‐level organizational conflicts and micro‐level coping behaviors. We use semi‐structured interviews and archival data to investigate environmental policy implementation in China, where developmental state logic and regulatory state logic coexist and compete. We found that regulatory state logic increases SLBs' workloads and accountability, while developmental state logic limits their power and resources. These competing institutional logics result in unclear responsibilities, expanding the number of tasks but constraining resources, creating pressure for enforcement officials while providing few rewards. In response, SLBs engage in active and passive coping behaviors. Our study contributes to public administration and institutional theory research by introducing a multi‐level framework that links competing logics to organizational conflicts and individual coping.

Re-introducing multiple methodological approaches into symbolic interactionist theory and research

2025-06-17

Thomas Janoski | Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks

The Past, Present and Future of the Corporate Actor: Ontological, Epistemological and Theoretical Considerations

2025-06-16

Michaela Haase , Elke Schuessler , Ute Schmiel +3 more | Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research

Abstract Corporate actors are more resourceful, more powerful and more capable of influencing their own conditions of action than most other actors. This curated article argues that to imagine the … Abstract Corporate actors are more resourceful, more powerful and more capable of influencing their own conditions of action than most other actors. This curated article argues that to imagine the future of corporate actors in a world that is rapidly changing due to the possibilities of digital technology and sustainability challenges, we also need to revisit dominant conceptualizations of the corporate actor in economic or social science research. The four essays included in this article draw on different theories to elaborate on the role that corporate actors play, could play, or should play in the future. The problems that the authors identify in their essays include the power and wrongdoing of corporate actors; the ability of corporate actors to create their environment, not just react to it; the lack of a concept of (corporate) responsibility capable of responding to the desiderata of society; and the accountability of corporate actorhood outside the boundaries of formal organizations. By providing reflections on these problems, this article—written against the background of the historical peculiarities of German business administration research marked by a neglect of collectivist concepts such as corporate actors—shows that research and society actively co-construct the roles and responsibilities of corporate actors. The performativity of theories addressing corporate actors is thus a concern for business administration scholars aiming to contribute to a more sustainable future.

Why management papers face rejection? An advanced guide to publish manuscripts in high-impact management journals

2025-06-14

Manish Dadhich , Bright Akwasi Gyamfi , Festus Victor Bekun +2 more | Quality & Quantity

Abstract Research in any discipline establishes the groundwork for advancing knowledge, facilitating learning, and solving problems. Management research is conducive to observing the world and decision-making wonders through a novel … Abstract Research in any discipline establishes the groundwork for advancing knowledge, facilitating learning, and solving problems. Management research is conducive to observing the world and decision-making wonders through a novel outlook. Such research is a fabulous tool for addressing emerging topics and challenges for which scientific data cannot be accessible due to budding awareness of the phenomena. Writing and publishing complement each other and require specific technical knowledge to give a final look for publishing a paper in a top-rating journal. Common challenges subvert authors’ efforts to elucidate their understanding and practice. This paper has identified, articulated, and successfully addressed these hurdles to publishing. A trail guide for different components of a typical research paper is also presented by benchmarking the best business, ethics, and management research practices. This study is the first guideline in writing management papers and is conducive to producing high-quality imperative research for scholars.

Post-Cognitivism and the Indissoluble Bonding of Languaging, Embodiment, and Thinking

2025-06-13

Filippo Batisti , Marcos García Vidal | JOLMA

Classical cognitive science often strips the inherent social character out of language, treating it as a system of internal mental representations, and so does Generative Linguistics. In contrast, post-cognitivist approaches … Classical cognitive science often strips the inherent social character out of language, treating it as a system of internal mental representations, and so does Generative Linguistics. In contrast, post-cognitivist approaches to psychology reject representationalism but struggle with language’s capacity to refer beyond sensory experience. Cognitive Linguistics addresses meaning and embodiment but remains somewhat isolated from broader post-cognitivist thought. The enactive approach overtly problematizes the concept of representation, but tends to marginalize language; when such focus is taken, a coherent account of semantic content remains an unresolved task. This paper surveys philosophical and linguistic perspectives on language within post-cognitivist frameworks and proposes a blueprint for future research based on four points: sociality and interaction, embodiment, ecological validity, and representation-as- praxis .

How Interest Translates into the Choice of Profession - A Discussion Based on Self-efficacy Theory

2025-06-13

Yubao Lu | Advances in Economics Management and Political Sciences

In contemporary China, a significant number of university graduates pursue careers that diverge from their original fields of study, reflecting a broader trend of academic and occupational mismatch. This review … In contemporary China, a significant number of university graduates pursue careers that diverge from their original fields of study, reflecting a broader trend of academic and occupational mismatch. This review examines the principal factors influencing such career decision-making processes, with particular attention to the role of self-efficacy, alongside considerations of gender, environmental context, and cultural background. Among these variables, self-efficacy emerges as a particularly influential determinant, shaping individuals' confidence in their ability to meet professional and academic challenges. Within the Chinese context, self-efficacy has been extensively applied in domains such as management performance prediction, adolescent physical training, and educational interventions aimed at fostering both academic achievement and personal development. Empirical evidence suggests that positive experiences enhance self-efficacy, whereas repeated setbacks tend to diminish it. Strategies such as the accumulation of successful performance outcomes, integration into supportive social networks, access to reliable mentoring systems, and the maintenance of physical and psychological well-being have all been identified as effective means of strengthening self-efficacy. A deeper understanding of these mechanisms offers valuable insights for both educational policy and career guidance practices, with the potential to support students in navigating the transition from academic study to professional life.

Book Review: Applied Business Rhetoric TomlinsonE. C. (2024). Applied Business Rhetoric. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 227 pp.

2025-06-12

Joe Edward Hatfield | Business and Professional Communication Quarterly

Examining the Dynamic Relational Effects of “Letting off Steam”: The Co‐Evolution of Workplace Venting and Advice‐Giving Ties

2025-06-12

Xueli Zhu , Yimin He , Pol Solanelles +1 more | Personnel Psychology

ABSTRACT Workplace venting (i.e., expressing frustrations or negative emotions regarding workplace problems) is common and can lead to negative short‐term consequences for ventors or listeners. However, existing research has overlooked … ABSTRACT Workplace venting (i.e., expressing frustrations or negative emotions regarding workplace problems) is common and can lead to negative short‐term consequences for ventors or listeners. However, existing research has overlooked the dyadic nature of venting and focused on short‐term reactions, thereby missing potential relational benefits of workplace venting ties (i.e., ongoing relationships where employees regularly seek out preferred listeners for venting). Drawing on social penetration theory and agentic perspectives of network dynamics, we propose a dynamic relational model to theorize how venting networks evolve and co‐evolve with advice‐giving networks through listeners’ choices to form or maintain venting and advice‐giving ties, respectively. We test this model by analyzing three waves of whole‐network data using Stochastic Actor‐Oriented Models (SAOMs). Results reveal that listeners are more likely to form or maintain subsequent venting and advice‐giving ties with their ventors. We also find that actors’ attributes, namely conscientiousness, can alter the co‐evolution process such that its effects are amplified for conscientious ventors but not conscientious listeners. Finally, we identify a potential cost of reduced advice provision when employees are a preferred listener for many coworkers (i.e., central to venting networks). We discuss the value and implications of employing a network approach to studying venting in the workplace.

Living with and living like those we study: organizational hybrid ethnography as a research approach in organization studies

2025-06-12

Riku Reunamäki | Journal of Organizational Ethnography

Purpose Advances in technology and the COVID-19 pandemic have fundamentally altered the ways in which we behave and interact in our daily lives. However, organizational ethnography arguably still falls short … Purpose Advances in technology and the COVID-19 pandemic have fundamentally altered the ways in which we behave and interact in our daily lives. However, organizational ethnography arguably still falls short in adequately portraying the hybrid nature of work as performed and experienced by employees in contemporary organizations. Design/methodology/approach “Traditional” participant observation has been adapted to accommodate this new reality through digital and remote ethnography, and there is an ongoing conversation in ethnographic research which is concerned with what can constitute the “field” in fieldwork. Based on my own fieldwork experiences, I propose a research approach I call organizational hybrid ethnography – a combination of in-person and remote organizational ethnography – and explain how it differs from other forms of technologically mediated ethnography. Findings I argue that compared to purely remote observations, the hybrid ethnographer is better positioned to not only experience firsthand the office environment and explore the questions it raises for hybrid working but also to establish trust with participants when interacting with them in person. Likewise, compared to purely on-site observations, I contend that the hybrid ethnographer gains a more holistic experience and more closely captures work dynamics when occasionally observing through videoconferencing. Originality/value Hybrid is increasingly how work is organized, and a central quest for the ethnographer is to try to simulate and relate to the experiences of research participants. Organizational hybrid ethnography enables the organizational ethnographer to provide a more authentic account of the participants’ work lives in modern organizational settings.