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The Weick Stuff: Managing Beyond Games

Author

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  • Lex Donaldson

    (Australian Graduate School of Management, University of New South Wales, P.O. Box 1, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia)

Abstract

Astley and Zammuto (Astley, W. Graham, Raymond F. Zammuto. 1992. Organization science, managers and language games. Organ. Sci. 3 (4) 443--460.) have contributed a provocative theoretical analysis of the present state of organizational science and suggest that the solution to current difficulties lies in a fuller realization of the concept of organizational science as a language game. They address contemporary criticisms that organizational research lacks applications and reject the view that renewed efforts should be made to create a body of organizational engineering knowledge which offers highly specific advice to managers. Instead Astley and Zammuto (Astley, W. Graham, Raymond F. Zammuto. 1992. Organization science, managers and language games. Organ. Sci. 3 (4) 443--460.) invoke the philosophical concept of a language game and see organization theory as primarily consisting of stories and myths to provide symbolic representation and legitimation for management. Far from being highly specific in terminology, preferred language games are seen as being stated in an abstract language, the better to widely generalize, and indeed as being ambiguous, so as to appeal broadly and to facilitate consensus in fraught situations.

Suggested Citation

  • Lex Donaldson, 1992. "The Weick Stuff: Managing Beyond Games," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 3(4), pages 461-466, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ororsc:v:3:y:1992:i:4:p:461-466
    DOI: 10.1287/orsc.3.4.461
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    Cited by:

    1. Gohar Saleem Parvaiz & Owais Mufti & Muhammad Wahab, 2016. "Pragmatism for Mixed Method Research at Higher Education Level," Business & Economic Review, Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar, Pakistan, vol. 8(2), pages 67-79, October.
    2. Christian Homburg, 2007. "Betriebswirtschaftslehre als Empirische Wissenschaft — Bestandsaufnahme und Empfehlungen," Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, Springer, vol. 59(56), pages 27-60, January.
    3. Tsuyoshi Numagami, 1998. "Perspective—The Infeasibility of Invariant Laws in Management Studies: A Reflective Dialogue in Defense of Case Studies," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 9(1), pages 1-15, February.

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