Organizing beyond Organizations for the Common Good
Confronting Societal Challenges through Process Studies
Published on 29. May 2025
Book
Hardback
272 pages
978-0-19-895664-8 (ISBN)
Description
Understanding the societal consequences of organizations is a perennial, if sometimes neglected, concern within the field of organization studies. Recently, such concerns have been given renewed emphasis, with one vibrant stream of research focusing on 'grand challenges', particularly those with a strong societal component, directed at a common good beyond that of business organizations themselves. This might include issues such as sustainable development, natural disasters and pandemics, poverty, community regeneration, and climate change.
This volume builds on the current interest in grand challenges by taking seriously the problem of 'organizing beyond organizations', and by engaging with the unique methodological and theoretical toolkits afforded by a process studies perspective to address these issues. Societal challenges are inherently inter-organizational, necessitating theoretical approaches that not only examine organizational action but also frame that action in terms of its wider relational dynamics with other stakeholders. Although some of these considerations are not new, their implications for addressing societal issues such as grand challenges and sustainable development goals has scarcely been considered, let alone how traditional and non-traditional modes of organizing might jointly work towards achieving such outcomes. The chapters embrace the power of a process worldview in order to understand the dynamic nature of any particular grand challenge or societal issue as it evolves within the relationality of actions and practices within and between organizational actors.
This volume builds on the current interest in grand challenges by taking seriously the problem of 'organizing beyond organizations', and by engaging with the unique methodological and theoretical toolkits afforded by a process studies perspective to address these issues. Societal challenges are inherently inter-organizational, necessitating theoretical approaches that not only examine organizational action but also frame that action in terms of its wider relational dynamics with other stakeholders. Although some of these considerations are not new, their implications for addressing societal issues such as grand challenges and sustainable development goals has scarcely been considered, let alone how traditional and non-traditional modes of organizing might jointly work towards achieving such outcomes. The chapters embrace the power of a process worldview in order to understand the dynamic nature of any particular grand challenge or societal issue as it evolves within the relationality of actions and practices within and between organizational actors.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 160 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
Weight
544 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-895664-8 (9780198956648)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Joel Gehman is the Lindner-Gambal Professor in the Department of Strategic Management and Public Policy at the George Washington University School of Business. His research investigates how organizations can contribute to tackling grand challenges related to sustainable development through strategic practices, technological innovation, and institutional change. He is the author of more than 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters and more than a dozen business school teaching cases.
Paula Jarzabkowski is Professor of Strategic Management at the University of Queensland and City St George's, University of London. Her research takes a qualitative, practice theory lens to understanding how people in organizations address the complex problems or 'grand challenges' affecting society. She has published this work in over 100 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, three research monographs, and several edited books and journals. Paula is a Fellow of both the Academy of Management and the British Academy.
Ann Langley is Emerita Professor at HEC Montreal and Distinguished Research Environment Professor at the University of Warwick. Her research deals with strategic processes and practices in complex organizations with an emphasis on qualitative research methods. She has published over 100 articles and 14 books. She is currently Deputy Editor for qualitative research at the Academy of Management Journal, and co-editor, with Haridimos Tsoukas, of the OUP book series 'Perspectives on Process Organization Studies'.
Haridimos Tsoukas is the Columbia Ship Management Professor of Strategic Management at the University of Cyprus and a Distinguished Research Environment Professor of Organizational Behaviour at Warwick Business School. His research interests include organizational knowledge, organizational becoming, practical reason in management studies, and philosophy and organization studies. With Ann Langley, he is co-editor of the OUP book series 'Perspectives on Process Organization Studies', and is author of several books including Philosophical Organization Theory (OUP, 2019).
Paula Jarzabkowski is Professor of Strategic Management at the University of Queensland and City St George's, University of London. Her research takes a qualitative, practice theory lens to understanding how people in organizations address the complex problems or 'grand challenges' affecting society. She has published this work in over 100 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, three research monographs, and several edited books and journals. Paula is a Fellow of both the Academy of Management and the British Academy.
Ann Langley is Emerita Professor at HEC Montreal and Distinguished Research Environment Professor at the University of Warwick. Her research deals with strategic processes and practices in complex organizations with an emphasis on qualitative research methods. She has published over 100 articles and 14 books. She is currently Deputy Editor for qualitative research at the Academy of Management Journal, and co-editor, with Haridimos Tsoukas, of the OUP book series 'Perspectives on Process Organization Studies'.
Haridimos Tsoukas is the Columbia Ship Management Professor of Strategic Management at the University of Cyprus and a Distinguished Research Environment Professor of Organizational Behaviour at Warwick Business School. His research interests include organizational knowledge, organizational becoming, practical reason in management studies, and philosophy and organization studies. With Ann Langley, he is co-editor of the OUP book series 'Perspectives on Process Organization Studies', and is author of several books including Philosophical Organization Theory (OUP, 2019).
Volume editor
Lindner-Gambal Professor of Business Ethics and Professor of Strategic Management and Public PolicyLindner-Gambal Professor of Business Ethics and Professor of Strategic Management and Public Policy, George Washington University School of Business
Professor of Strategic ManagementProfessor of Strategic Management, City St George's, University of London
Distinguished Research Environment ProfessorDistinguished Research Environment Professor, University of Warwick
Columbia Ship Management Professor of Strategic ManagementColumbia Ship Management Professor of Strategic Management, University of Cyprus
Content
List of Figures and Tables
List of Contributors
Series Editorial Structure
Endorsements
1: Joel Gehman; Paula Jarzabkowski; Ann Langley; Haridimos Tsoukas: Organizing Beyond Organizations for the Common Good: Confronting Societal Challenges through Process Studies
2: Stewart Clegg; Miguel Pina e Cunha; Armenio Rego: How Employee Activists Tackle Societal Issues by Promoting Organizational Discourse-Practice Alignment
3: Astrid Jensen; Cindie Maagaard;Heidi Hansen: Employee Actions Beyond Organizational Borders: A Narrative Analysis of the Communicative Constitution of CSR Communication
4: Shaheem de Vries; Kosheek Sewchurran: Could Legitimizing a Process-Organizing Ethos on the Frontline of Civil Service Lead to More Sustainable Outcomes?
5: Helen Etchanchu: Why Won't You Listen to Me?: How Actors Construct Discursive Legitimacy in Issue Fields
6: Daniel Nyberg; Vanessa Bowden; Christopher Wright: Organizing Disorganization: The Isolation, Separation, and Polarization of Climate Change Demands
7: Benjamin D. Innis; Jean M. Bartunek: Soundtracking, Accompaniment, and Modeling: How the Cultural Production of Music Addresses Societal Challenges
8: Jane K. Le;Amadou Lo: Snorkeling Masks to Breathe: How Urgency Enables Interorganizational Responses to Paradoxical Grand Challenges
9: Natalie Slawinski; Jennifer Brenton; Bruna Brito; Wendy Smith: Navigating the Paradoxes of Engaged Research to Address Grand Challenges: A Process Model
10: Jill Purdy; Barbara Gray: Addressing Cross-Level Challenges in Designing Multistakeholder Partnerships
Index
List of Contributors
Series Editorial Structure
Endorsements
1: Joel Gehman; Paula Jarzabkowski; Ann Langley; Haridimos Tsoukas: Organizing Beyond Organizations for the Common Good: Confronting Societal Challenges through Process Studies
2: Stewart Clegg; Miguel Pina e Cunha; Armenio Rego: How Employee Activists Tackle Societal Issues by Promoting Organizational Discourse-Practice Alignment
3: Astrid Jensen; Cindie Maagaard;Heidi Hansen: Employee Actions Beyond Organizational Borders: A Narrative Analysis of the Communicative Constitution of CSR Communication
4: Shaheem de Vries; Kosheek Sewchurran: Could Legitimizing a Process-Organizing Ethos on the Frontline of Civil Service Lead to More Sustainable Outcomes?
5: Helen Etchanchu: Why Won't You Listen to Me?: How Actors Construct Discursive Legitimacy in Issue Fields
6: Daniel Nyberg; Vanessa Bowden; Christopher Wright: Organizing Disorganization: The Isolation, Separation, and Polarization of Climate Change Demands
7: Benjamin D. Innis; Jean M. Bartunek: Soundtracking, Accompaniment, and Modeling: How the Cultural Production of Music Addresses Societal Challenges
8: Jane K. Le;Amadou Lo: Snorkeling Masks to Breathe: How Urgency Enables Interorganizational Responses to Paradoxical Grand Challenges
9: Natalie Slawinski; Jennifer Brenton; Bruna Brito; Wendy Smith: Navigating the Paradoxes of Engaged Research to Address Grand Challenges: A Process Model
10: Jill Purdy; Barbara Gray: Addressing Cross-Level Challenges in Designing Multistakeholder Partnerships
Index