On the way to Ithaka[1]: Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Publication of Karl E. Weick’sThe Social Psychology of Organizing
Haridimos Tsoukas, Gerardo Patriotta, Kathleen M. Sutcliffe, Sally Maitlis
Journal of Management Studies · 2020 · Volume 57 · Issue 7
Abstract
Karl E. Weick’sThe Social Psychology of Organizinghas been one of the most influential books in organization studies, providing the theoretical underpinnings of several research programs. Importantly, the book is widely credited with initiating theprocess turnin the field, leading to the ‘gerundizing’ of management and organization studies: the persistent effort to understand organizational phenomena as ongoing accomplishments. The emphasis of the book on organizing (rather than on organizations) and its links with sensemaking have made it the most influential treatise on organizational epistemology. In this introduction, we review Weick’s magnum opus, underline and assess its key themes, and suggest ways in which several of them may be taken forward.
Keywords
ambiguity, complexity, enactment, organizing, process, sensemaking
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