This edited book examines the relationship between the materiality of artefacts and managerial techniques, combining the recent scholarly interest on socio-materiality with a focus on management. Exploring managerial techniques, the social and material tools used by actors to guide or facilitate collective activities, topics include their socio-materiality, performative dimension, role in managerial control, relationship to organisational space and relationship to organisational legitimacy. This volume particularly explores the valuation and legitimation practices or processes involving managerial techniques, their modalities, specificities and involvement in collective activity within organisations. The overall aim of the chapters is to explore in different ways and instances the way in which material artefacts are able to inscribe and enforce managerial action which affects daily work practices.

This edited book examines the relationship between the materiality of artefacts and managerial techniques, combining the recent scholarly interest on socio-materiality with a focus on management. Exploring managerial techniques, the social and material tools used by actors to guide or facilitate collective activities, topics include their socio-materiality, performative dimension, role in managerial control, relationship to organisational space and relationship to organisational legitimacy. This volume particularly explores the valuation and legitimation practices or processes involving managerial techniques, their modalities, specificities and involvement in collective activity within organisations. The overall aim of the chapters is to explore in different ways and instances the way in which material artefacts are able to inscribe and enforce managerial action which affects daily work practices.

Many streams of research in organization and management have criticized the mainstream view of organizations as decision-making and information-processing structures, controlled through rational representations (substantive or procedural rationality). In spite of their differences, these streams of research share some key theoretical principles: Their processual view of organizing as 'becoming', their emphasis on the key role of action and action meaning; their interest in the agential power of artefacts and objects; the exploratory and inquiring nature of organizing. This book argues that Pragmatist thought can contribute to those approaches offering some theoretical argument, both as a general intellectual orientation and as a conceptual toolbox. As a general attitude, Pragmatism develops a radical critique of all the dualisms which often hinder organization studies: Thought and action, design and utilization, decision and execution, reality and representation, to name a few. As a conceptual toolbox, Pragmatism can contribute and clarify key concepts for organization and management studies, such as inquiry, semiotic mediation, habit, abduction, trans-action, and valuation. However, Pragmatist thought is still little known by organization and management scholars and by reflexive managers. The proposed book aims at making pragmatist key notions accessible to them and applicable to theorize organizations and transform managerial practices.

Many streams of research in organization and management have criticized the mainstream view of organizations as decision-making and information-processing structures, controlled through rational representations (substantive or procedural rationality). In spite of their differences, these streams of research share some key theoretical principles: Their processual view of organizing as 'becoming', their emphasis on the key role of action and action meaning; their interest in the agential power of artefacts and objects; the exploratory and inquiring nature of organizing. This book argues that Pragmatist thought can contribute to those approaches offering some theoretical argument, both as a general intellectual orientation and as a conceptual toolbox. As a general attitude, Pragmatism develops a radical critique of all the dualisms which often hinder organization studies: Thought and action, design and utilization, decision and execution, reality and representation, to name a few. As a conceptual toolbox, Pragmatism can contribute and clarify key concepts for organization and management studies, such as inquiry, semiotic mediation, habit, abduction, trans-action, and valuation. However, Pragmatist thought is still little known by organization and management scholars and by reflexive managers. The proposed book aims at making pragmatist key notions accessible to them and applicable to theorize organizations and transform managerial practices.