Title: Organisational change processes and emergence: Latourian, Weickean and Bourdieuian perspectives revisited

Authors: Robert J. Blomme

Addresses: Centre for Leadership and Management Development, Nyenrode Business Universiteit, Straatweg 25, 3621 BG Breukelen, The Netherlands

Abstract: This conceptual chapter discusses the role of the manager in relation to emergent change and reflects on his role as sensegiver in the process of translation. It discusses and connects three perspectives derived from the work of Bruno Latour, Karl Weick and Pierre Bourdieu to form a framework for emergent change. By framing change processes as processes of emergent change and by viewing an organisational system as an actor network, we provide a line of thinking for what managers' behaviour and interventions actually mean for the behaviour of other actors. In this chapter, we discuss implications for managers who wish to bring about change and include research implications. We also call for further theoretical development and empirical studies.

Keywords: emergent change; actor network theory; Habitus; field; political agency; organisational change; managerial role; sensegiver; Bruno Latour; Karl Weick; Pierre Bourdieu.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSCM.2014.067294

International Journal of Strategic Change Management, 2014 Vol.5 No.4, pp.332 - 347

Accepted: 10 Sep 2014
Published online: 02 Feb 2015 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article