Management, organizations and contemporary social theory / Edited by Stewart R. Clegg & Miguel Pina e Cunha

1. Management, organizations and contemporary social theory.
2. Harold Garfinkel and ethnomethodology.
3. Actor-Network Theory: Michel Callon, Bruno Latour, John Law.
4. Anthony Giddens and structuration theory.
5. Morphogenesis and reflexivity: Margaret Archer, critical realism and organizational analysis.
6. Pierre Bourdieu and Elites: making the hidden visible.
7. Theodore Schatzki's practice theory and its implications for organization studies.
8. Mary Douglas and institutions.
9. Norbert Elias and organizational analysis: towards process-figurational theory.
10. Niklas Luhmann and organizations as social systems.
11. Organizing Michel Foucault: power, knowledge and governmentality.
12. The Frankfurt School and critical theory.
13. Judith Butler and performativity.
14. Manuel Castells and informationalism.
15. Liquefying modernity: Zygmunt Bauman as organization theorist.
16. Management, organizations and contemporary social theory

Social theorists speculate about large-scale social questions, asking of any phenomenon, how is it possible? This book addresses how various social theories contribute key insights into the nature of organizations and management. The cast of characters to be found in this book have had a transcendental impact, including on the practices of the management and organization disciplines. For students, however, engaging with social theory in a conversation that is much broader and potentially richer than those that may have been previously encountered is not at first easy. The question is where to begin: this book provides answers. Drawing on research from international contributors, this valuable textbook is an essential resource for students and introduces key social theories and theorists making them accessible to a management audience. The chapters include objectives and end-of-chapter reflective questions, as well as a glossary for readers grappling with new terms