Towards a Theory of Historical Reflexivity

Researchers in the field of historical organization studies (HOS) have hinted at the role of reflexivity in history research. However, the benefits of merging ideas of reflexivity with history remain unexplored and theoretically under-developed. In this chapter, we introduce an initial theory of historical reflexivity that combines knowledge from HOS, emotion in organizations, and an intersubjective perspective on being reflexive. We explain and elaborate on the meaning and purpose of historical reflexivity as theory within HOS, and we illustrate the concept with an example of ‘faculty career achievement’ in the corporatized university. In the concluding section of the chapter, we consider the utility of our model for HOS and discuss implications for both research and practice

ANTi-History : toward an historiographical approach to (re)assembling knowledge of the past

352 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm.Includes abstractIncludes bibliographical references (leaves 325-352)This dissertation sets out to answer the call for the historic turn in organization studies by creating an alternative methodology for history, one that I have come to call ANTi-History . In the development of this alternative historiographic approach (viz. ANTiHistory) I have drawn on insights from three distinct literatures: (1) the sociology of knowledge, (2) Marxist and cultural theory historiography, and (3) actor-network theory. The collective and iterative insights drawn from these literatures are developed over the first 4 chapters to constitute ANTi-History in chapter 5. The viability and performativity of this new approach is then explored in the following three chapters (chapters 6-8) by way of analysis of archival and other materials relating to the history of a specific organization - Pan American Airways (PAA). The three empirical applications of ANTi-History seek to historicize different facets of PAA' s past, including an early attempt by key players to write a founder-funded history of the organization (chapter 6), its founding (chapter 7), and representations of its development in the early years, from 1927 to 1940 (chapter 8). The ultimate aim of the thesis is to develop a new approach to historiography that stresses the need for history to be understood as the socially constructed effect of the interest-driven politics of actor-networks; a crafting of history through the privileging of empirical traces over pre-existing theoretical assumptions; an emphasis on following actors around to understand how a socio-past holds together as a network; and a realization of the emancipatory potential of history through its situation in a process of the pluralization of history. Originally a response to Booth and Rowlinson' s (2006) call for a historic turn in management and organizational studies, the development of ANTi-History sets out to meet the challenge of developing a methodology capable of simultaneously historicizing and theoretically engaging the field. In the process, I argue, this thesis has implications for business history in particular and historiography in general in the development of an alternative methodology for studying the past

Fleeting thoughts on enduring networks: conceptualizing the Atlantic Schools of Business conference

This paper sets out to analyze the (enduring) character of the Atlantic Schools of Business through application of an Actor-Network Theory (ANT) approach. Drawing on selected developments that occurred since 2000, the paper attempts to disturb the “black-boxed” character of ASB and reveal it as a series of inscribed processes that constitute its continuance

A meta-analysis of work teams and procedural justice

Meta-analysis is used to assess the somewhat neglected relationship between work teams and procedural justice. Specifically, the effect of a team’s process control, their level of commitment, collectivism and the presence of voice on procedural justice are observed. Results of the meta-analysis show that there is a strong relationship between the factors tested and highlights the need for future research in this area

Historical reflections at the intersection of past and future:Celebrating 50 years of Management Learning:

Management Learning marks its 50th anniversary in 2020. The journal has a long history of publishing critical, reflexive scholarship on organizational learning and knowledge. This special issue is a forum to celebrate and build on this history through critical and reflective engagement with the past, present and future of management learning, knowledge and education. In particular, the special issue guest editors reflect on the future of Management Learning and outline the importance of learning from the history of and history in management learning, on reflexivity, on the archive and, on the geopolitics of knowledge

Reassembling Weber to reveal the-past-as-history in management and organization studies

Post-printThe purpose of this article is to unravel the link between the past and history to reveal the importance and the problems of developing a historically informed critical management studies (Booth and Rowlinson, 2006; Kieser, 1994). Drawing on Munslow (2010), we focus on the relationship between ‘the past’ and ‘history’ as ‘ontologically dissonant’ (p. 3) to argue for an ‘epistemically skeptical,’ relational approach to critical organizational history. These arguments are explored through analysis of the ‘career’ of Max Weber in management and organization studies (MOS)