Organizational dischronization: On meaning and meaninglessness, sensemaking and nonsensemaking
(2022) In Journal of Management Studies 59(3). p.724-754- Abstract
- This paper contributes to close up studies of how members in organizations experience and act in relationship to what is broadly and vaguely referred to as institutionalized structures and practices. Based on a case study about scorecards, a quality control system, it is illustrated that this practice works poorly, because of inconsistent ideas of purpose and functioning. We introduce the concept of organizational dischronization (OD) to illuminate this. OD indicates a deviation from the ideal of shared or synchronized meanings, and the existence of diverging understandings and lack of clarification of this, in an organization. The paper challenges some core ideas of institutional theory (logics) and sensemaking, suggesting the use of... (More)
- This paper contributes to close up studies of how members in organizations experience and act in relationship to what is broadly and vaguely referred to as institutionalized structures and practices. Based on a case study about scorecards, a quality control system, it is illustrated that this practice works poorly, because of inconsistent ideas of purpose and functioning. We introduce the concept of organizational dischronization (OD) to illuminate this. OD indicates a deviation from the ideal of shared or synchronized meanings, and the existence of diverging understandings and lack of clarification of this, in an organization. The paper challenges some core ideas of institutional theory (logics) and sensemaking, suggesting the use of counter concepts such is organizational illogics and nonsensemaking, thus opening up for a broader and less ‘smooth’ understanding of how institutions and sensemaking work than assumed in the literature. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/4aeed659-3d45-4225-9af2-994d0ba93a9f
- author
- Alvesson, Mats LU and Jonsson, Anna LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2022
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Journal of Management Studies
- volume
- 59
- issue
- 3
- pages
- 724 - 754
- publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85122695322
- ISSN
- 1467-6486
- DOI
- 10.1111/joms.12790
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 4aeed659-3d45-4225-9af2-994d0ba93a9f
- date added to LUP
- 2022-01-12 16:35:37
- date last changed
- 2022-06-30 10:53:44
@article{4aeed659-3d45-4225-9af2-994d0ba93a9f,
abstract = {{This paper contributes to close up studies of how members in organizations experience and act in relationship to what is broadly and vaguely referred to as institutionalized structures and practices. Based on a case study about scorecards, a quality control system, it is illustrated that this practice works poorly, because of inconsistent ideas of purpose and functioning. We introduce the concept of organizational dischronization (OD) to illuminate this. OD indicates a deviation from the ideal of shared or synchronized meanings, and the existence of diverging understandings and lack of clarification of this, in an organization. The paper challenges some core ideas of institutional theory (logics) and sensemaking, suggesting the use of counter concepts such is organizational illogics and nonsensemaking, thus opening up for a broader and less ‘smooth’ understanding of how institutions and sensemaking work than assumed in the literature.}},
author = {{Alvesson, Mats and Jonsson, Anna}},
issn = {{1467-6486}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{3}},
pages = {{724--754}},
publisher = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
series = {{Journal of Management Studies}},
title = {{Organizational dischronization: On meaning and meaninglessness, sensemaking and nonsensemaking}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/joms.12790}},
doi = {{10.1111/joms.12790}},
volume = {{59}},
year = {{2022}},
}