The circumstances for the emergence of new ideas in organizational theory have previously been explored from several viewpoints. Researchers trace the origins of new ideas to…
Abstract
The circumstances for the emergence of new ideas in organizational theory have previously been explored from several viewpoints. Researchers trace the origins of new ideas to previous literature or compare ideas across continents and countries. The author takes another point of departure. Following Merton (1957, 1963), she focuses on “multiple discoveries” in science, studying the independent, simultaneous (re-)discovery of certain aspects of institutional theory in organizational theory. Specifically, she follows the circumstances under which two pairs of researchers proffered similar explanations for the phenomena they encountered (Jönsson & Lundin, 1977; Meyer & Rowan, 1977). Without ever having met, they suggested an analogous way of understanding the concept of organizing, though their research used different frames of reference and field material and was published in different outlets. The author’s analysis of the circumstances surrounding the two papers led her to explore elements in the emergence of new ideas: the Zeitgeist – the spirit of the times – international networks, and collegial work. When these factors are in play, physical meetings do not seem to be required, but scholars must be involved in networks in which their colleagues provide judgment and advice.
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Lana Sabelfeld, John Dumay, Sten Jönsson, Hervé Corvellec, Bino Catasús, Rolf Solli, Ulla Eriksson-Zetterquist, Elena Raviola, Paolo Quattrone and James Guthrie
This paper presents a reflection in memory and tribute to the work and life of Professor Barbara Czarniawska (1948–2024).
Abstract
Purpose
This paper presents a reflection in memory and tribute to the work and life of Professor Barbara Czarniawska (1948–2024).
Design/methodology/approach
We invited those colleagues whom we knew to be close to Barbara to submit reflections about her contributions to academia alongside their memories of her as a person. We present these reflections in the order we received them, and they have only been edited for minor grammatical and punctuation issues to preserve the voice of the contributing authors.
Findings
The reflections in this paper represent different translations of Barbara’s academic and theoretical contributions. However, she also contributed to people. While we can count the number of papers, books and book chapters she published, we must also count the number of co-authors, Ph.D. supervisions, visiting professorships and conference plenaries she touched. This (ac)counting tells the story of Barbara reaching out to work and interact with people, especially students and early career researchers. She touched their lives, and the publications are an artefact of a human being, not an academic stuck in an ivory tower.
Originality/value
A paper in Barbara Czarniawska’s honour where some of her closest colleagues can leave translations of her work through a narrative reflection, seems to be a fitting tribute.
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The purpose of this paper is to address the distinctive problems of interventionist research that originate from intervention in ongoing practices as opposed to the experiment's…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to address the distinctive problems of interventionist research that originate from intervention in ongoing practices as opposed to the experiment's design of a theory‐relevant context.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is an essay, based on arguments of mapping closely and understanding the work environment of the managers under study, and of re‐framing (or re‐education) practices.
Findings
The paper finds that the intervention is valued in terms of improved practice, as well as theoretical contribution.
Research limitations/implications
Learning theories (organizational and individual) should be included in the toolbox as well as methods of observing ongoing practices.
Practical implications
Interventionist research changes the way organizations think about how they organize their work (the appellate case); learning theory impacts work organization very concretely.
Originality/value
Management itself is intervention in organizational work practices, intervention in management practices will be something akin to Argyris et al.'s second loop (or Rorty's abnormal discourse) learning, which can be understood as re‐framing (or re‐education) practices. The use of case narratives and storytelling as ways of data capture are of particular interest in that respect.
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The purpose of this paper is to provide an introduction and overview of the various papers in this special issue.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide an introduction and overview of the various papers in this special issue.
Design/methodology/approach
A short discussion of the main quests of interventionist research and how these are related to the papers in this special issue, is undertaken.
Findings
The essence of interventionist research is its methodological location, researching where practice and theory meet.
Research limitations/implications
Interventionist research places strong demands on the individual researcher's interpretative, social, and abstracting skills in order to carry observations to ontological and epistemological levels.
Practical implications
Interventionist research is rich in research designs and specific intervention types. Selecting the “right” one is strongly related to the connection the researcher makes with the social context she/he will operate in. Changes over time in both design and intervention can be expected, given the dynamic, longitudinal and interactive nature of interventionist research.
Originality/value
This special issue provides examples of a varied set of interventionist research situations, including the selection of typical intervention methods and how knowledge contributions were extracted.
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The purpose of this paper is to give advice on how to achieve more productive academic writing work by commenting on 13 rules for good work. This is an increasingly important…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to give advice on how to achieve more productive academic writing work by commenting on 13 rules for good work. This is an increasingly important aspect of academic work for young scholars as publication is the main basis for promotion and salary increases in Europe today.
Design/methodology/approach
The approach is to draw on many years of experience as editor of management journals and, when possible, give illustrative comments.
Findings
The claim brought forward by the entire list of academic writing rules is that by living up to them the academic will improve his or her publication record, which will effect life income.
Originality/value
There is an expanding literature on academic writing, mostly in book form. This paper provides the essentials in compressed form.
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José Carlos Tiomatsu Oyadomari, Renato Monteiro da Silva, Octávio Ribeiro de Mendonça Neto and Carlos Alberto Diehl
This paper aims to propose an interventionist research model for cost measurement in small manufacturing companies.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to propose an interventionist research model for cost measurement in small manufacturing companies.
Design/methodology/approach
The study was based on an interventionist model that consisted of two phases – training and intervention. The innovative model used in the study combined Labro and Tuomela’s (2003) framework with the socialization, externalization, combination and internalization model developed by Nonaka et al. (2001), and it was subsequently applied to two Brazilian manufacturing companies.
Findings
The main findings were as follows: the training phase is the one that generated the greatest impact on the cost calculation; competitors should not be invited to participate in the same program; it is necessary for the researchers to have professional experience of the subject being investigated and to have experience of micro and small enterprises; the training phase must be presented using appropriate language; and a better understanding of the costs can increase entrepreneurs’ confidence when negotiating prices with clients.
Research limitations/implications
The main limitation was the small number of companies that were included in the study. Future research could involve longitudinal studies to evaluate the long-term results of interventionist studies.
Practical implications
The study showed that even small business owners can implement costing techniques, but that this requires the development of an environment of knowledge creation, followed by an implementation phase. The model can be replicated on a large scale, with affordable costs.
Social implications
Improving the performance of small and medium-sized enterprises, which are high employers, with low implementation cost is a demand of society.
Originality/value
The model proved to be valid, and it could easily be replicated on a larger scale; the study therefore helps to demonstrate the benefits of interventionist research.
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The aim of this paper is to contribute to understanding how measuring intellectual capital (IC) can favor IC mobilization, examining the role of actors who design and implement…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to contribute to understanding how measuring intellectual capital (IC) can favor IC mobilization, examining the role of actors who design and implement the system in influencing managers’ IC learning processes and their take up of IC management practices.
Design/methodology/approach
A constructive case study, in which the researcher was directly involved in measuring IC, is presented. Kolb's experiential learning theory model examines if and how the actors mobilized IC and how the researcher and controller influenced their learning process.
Findings
The paper shows that actors must complete an experiential learning cycle to mobilize IC. The controller's role is pivotal in promoting IC mobilization, provided he/she experiences a deep learning process and he/she moves from “IC counting” to “IC accounting.” The paper also highlights how research intervention contributes to IC mobilization by influencing the actors’ learning process.
Research limitations/implications
The paper is limited to one Italian company, so the results cannot be generalized; they were influenced by the researcher's “strong” interventionist approach and by the model adopted.
Practical implications
Companies introducing IC will become aware of barriers and levers to measuring and mobilizing IC, thus enabling them to devise strategies to avoid the former and take advantage of the latter.
Originality/value
The experiential learning theory model offers an alternative way of understanding how IC measurement produces effects and how the controller and researcher can influence the managers’ IC learning journey thus contributing to mobilization of IC.