Title: The embodied dimension of creativity in academic knowledge work

Authors: Sara Winterstorm; Anna Essén

Addresses: School of Business, Stockholm University, Kräftriket, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden. ' School of Business, Stockholm University, Kräftriket, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden

Abstract: This paper explores the embodied dimension of creativity in academic knowledge work. Drawing on Merleau-Ponty (1962) among others, we provide rich illustrations of how creative performances in terms of the development of new 'theoretical' ideas involve our pre-reflective, sensory and bodily emotionality. The paper contributes to the field of creativity, which has heretofore paid little attention to the body and to the emotion literature by providing a conceptualisation of bodily emotion. Third, we challenge and provide an alternative to the traditional dichotomy between 'physical' and 'intellectual' work, which permeates the organisational literature in general.

Keywords: embodiment; body; emotion; creativity; knowledge work; academic work; bodywork; Merleau-Ponty; academic knowledge; physical; intellectual.

DOI: 10.1504/IJWOE.2011.045965

International Journal of Work Organisation and Emotion, 2011 Vol.4 No.3/4, pp.251 - 270

Published online: 23 Mar 2012 *

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