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Sverre Spoelstra, portrait image.

Sverre Spoelstra

Professor

Sverre Spoelstra, portrait image.

Theory's best practice

Author

  • Sverre Spoelstra

Summary, in English

Why is theorizing important? What does it do? This note reflects on the broad question of what we do when we theorize, taking its starting point from the Greek notion of theoria. The argument is that theorizing as an uncertain journey, i.e. as a form of travelling along a path towards the unknown or unfamiliar, has unjustly fallen into disrepute. The notion of ‘theory’ is today primarily associated with methodology and the ideas of a fixed path or a stable position. But this is not the only type of theory that critical organization studies needs. In this paper I consider how the notions of ‘strong’ and ‘weak’ theory can help us understand the role of theorizing in organization. Theory’s best practice involves making us see and think differently, and this, in a sense, is as practical as it gets.

Department/s

  • Organizational Studies

Publishing year

2021

Language

English

Publication/Series

Ephemera: Theory and Politics in Organization

Volume

21

Issue

4

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

www.ephemerajournal.org

Topic

  • Business Administration

Keywords

  • theory
  • practice
  • theoria
  • seeing
  • culture war
  • climate change

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 2052-1499