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Increasing Permeability of Organizational Boundaries?
Increasing Permeability of Organizational Boundaries?
Monday, 11 July 2016: 10:45-12:15
Location: Hörsaal 17 (Juridicum)
RC17 Sociology of Organization (host committee) Language: English
We plan a regular session in which we would like to discuss the implications of recent trends regarding the permeability of organizational boundaries. By permability we mean two things:
On the one hand, established organizational forms break up. Their fragments only partially exhibit their properties (Ahrne and Brunsson, 2010) and often embed single organizations in networks which make their boundaries more permeable. We also witness the rise of hybrid organizations that combine societal logics from previously unconnected parts of society.
On the other hand, organizations face increasing demands for transparency (Hood, 2006). They are urged to make information – for example on their decision-making processes – accessible for external audiences.
Our session aims to discuss these trends focusing on developments in three parts of society: industry, higher education and public administration. Our session will be open to theoretical and empirical contributions that address, among others, the following questions:
- How do firms/universities and colleges/public organizations structure the expansion of their boundaries? How do these new organizational forms look like?
- Are there differences with respect to organizational forms and practices between firms/universities and colleges/public organizations across countries?
- How do informal organizational aspects such as culture or social relationships influence the way firms/universities and colleges/public organizations implement the expansion of their boundaries?
- Are there unintended or even dysfunctional side-effects of these developments at the organizational or societal level?
Session Organizers: