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Barbara Czarniawska : Organizational change - fashions, institutions, and translations

Corvellec, Hervé LU orcid and Eriksson-Zetterquist, Ulla (2017) p.361-377
Abstract

Combining neo-institutionalism, actor network theory, and Gabriel Tarde's sociology, Czarniawska considers the key driver of organizational change to be imitation but an imitation that rests on translation. Organizations emulate one another by translating fashionable ideas according to their understanding, traditions, needs, and means. As translation in this tradition always entails a transformation of the translated idea or object, unexpected consequences will be expected. She does not consider these consequences to be necessarily negative; however, because if stabilized and institutionalized, unintended change can turn out to be as positive as planned change. A further strength of Czarniawska's is her ability to provide methodological... (More)

Combining neo-institutionalism, actor network theory, and Gabriel Tarde's sociology, Czarniawska considers the key driver of organizational change to be imitation but an imitation that rests on translation. Organizations emulate one another by translating fashionable ideas according to their understanding, traditions, needs, and means. As translation in this tradition always entails a transformation of the translated idea or object, unexpected consequences will be expected. She does not consider these consequences to be necessarily negative; however, because if stabilized and institutionalized, unintended change can turn out to be as positive as planned change. A further strength of Czarniawska's is her ability to provide methodological tools that follow the translation processes for change: Organizational ethnographies, narrative methodology, and shadowing.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Action net, Ethnography, Fashion, Imitation, Institutionalism, Narrative, Shadowing, Translation
host publication
The Palgrave Handbook of Organizational Change Thinkers
editor
Szabla, David B. ; Pasmore, William A. ; Barnes, Mary A. and Gipson, Asha N.
pages
361 - 377
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • scopus:85055620337
ISBN
9783319528779
9783319528786
DOI
10.1007/978-3-319-52878-6_72
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
65623592-51a6-4615-86a8-5f3fcbd1aba8
date added to LUP
2018-12-17 14:20:50
date last changed
2024-01-15 10:03:19
@inbook{65623592-51a6-4615-86a8-5f3fcbd1aba8,
  abstract     = {{<p>Combining neo-institutionalism, actor network theory, and Gabriel Tarde's sociology, Czarniawska considers the key driver of organizational change to be imitation but an imitation that rests on translation. Organizations emulate one another by translating fashionable ideas according to their understanding, traditions, needs, and means. As translation in this tradition always entails a transformation of the translated idea or object, unexpected consequences will be expected. She does not consider these consequences to be necessarily negative; however, because if stabilized and institutionalized, unintended change can turn out to be as positive as planned change. A further strength of Czarniawska's is her ability to provide methodological tools that follow the translation processes for change: Organizational ethnographies, narrative methodology, and shadowing.</p>}},
  author       = {{Corvellec, Hervé and Eriksson-Zetterquist, Ulla}},
  booktitle    = {{The Palgrave Handbook of Organizational Change Thinkers}},
  editor       = {{Szabla, David B. and Pasmore, William A. and Barnes, Mary A. and Gipson, Asha N.}},
  isbn         = {{9783319528779}},
  keywords     = {{Action net; Ethnography; Fashion; Imitation; Institutionalism; Narrative; Shadowing; Translation}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{361--377}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  title        = {{Barbara Czarniawska : Organizational change - fashions, institutions, and translations}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-52878-6_72}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/978-3-319-52878-6_72}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}