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Mechanisms of Change

Author

Listed:
  • Albert Martin

    (Institute for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises, Leuphana University of Lueneburg, Campus, 21391 Lueneburg, Germany)

  • Ursula Weisenfeld

    (Institute of Corporate Development, Leuphana University of Lueneburg, Campus, 21391 Lueneburg, Germany)

  • Sigrid Bekmeier-Feuerhahn

    (Institute of Corporate Development, Leuphana University of Lueneburg, Campus, 21391 Lueneburg, Germany)

Abstract

To understand organizational, strategic and technological change it would be helpful to resort to mechanisms that are responsible for triggering and directing deep-seated social change processes. Propositions about mechanisms have an interesting epistemological status, they take an intermediate stance between law-like and descriptive statements. On the one hand they designate concrete events and on the other they draw on the causality responsible for the emergence of these events. In this article we describe some fundamental characteristics of mechanisms, describe some important change mechanisms and articulate some desiderata for mechanisms-research.

Suggested Citation

  • Albert Martin & Ursula Weisenfeld & Sigrid Bekmeier-Feuerhahn, 2009. "Mechanisms of Change," management revue - Socio-Economic Studies, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 20(2), pages 117-125.
  • Handle: RePEc:nms:mamere:1861-9908_mrev_2009_2_martin_etal
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    File URL: https://www.nomos-elibrary.de/10.5771/0935-9915-2009-2-117
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Albert Martin, 2009. "Mechanisms of Dialectical Change," management revue. Socio-economic Studies, Rainer Hampp Verlag, vol. 20(2), pages 149-157.
    2. Sigrid Bekmeier-Feuerhahn, 2009. "Mechanisms of Teleological Change," management revue. Socio-economic Studies, Rainer Hampp Verlag, vol. 20(2), pages 126-137.
    3. Gerald F. Davis & Christopher Marquis, 2005. "Prospects for Organization Theory in the Early Twenty-First Century: Institutional Fields and Mechanisms," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 16(4), pages 332-343, August.
    4. Albert Martin, 2009. "Mechanisms of Dialectical Change," management revue - Socio-Economic Studies, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 20(2), pages 149-157.
    5. Ursula Weisenfeld, 2009. "Serendipity as a Mechanism of Change and its Potential for Explaining Change Processes," management revue. Socio-economic Studies, Rainer Hampp Verlag, vol. 20(2), pages 138-148.
    6. Albert Martin & Ursula Weisenfeld & Sigrid Bekmeier-Feuerhahn, 2009. "Mechanisms of Change," management revue. Socio-economic Studies, Rainer Hampp Verlag, vol. 20(2), pages 117-125.
    7. Sigrid Bekmeier-Feuerhahn, 2009. "Mechanisms of Teleological Change," management revue - Socio-Economic Studies, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 20(2), pages 126-137.
    8. Ursula Weisenfeld, 2009. "Serendipity as a Mechanism of Change and its Potential for Explaining Change Processes," management revue - Socio-Economic Studies, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 20(2), pages 138-148.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    change processes; mechanisms; logic of explanation; management of change;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L20 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - General
    • L21 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Business Objectives of the Firm
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship
    • M10 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - General
    • M12 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Personnel Management; Executives; Executive Compensation

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