Complex Knowledge: Studies in Organizational Epistemology

by Haridimos Tsoukas

Overview

Tsoukas (organizational studies, U. of Warwick, UK) presents a collection of previously-published essays and conference presentations which he wrote or co-authored during the past decade. The text employs Gregory Bateson's view of epistemology to examine the notion of organizational knowledge. Coverage includes the different forms of organizational knowledge and the forms of life in which they are embedded; the nature of tacit knowledge; the limitations of a purely information-based understanding of knowledge; the implications for organizations when the latter are seen as makers of knowledge claims put forward for public adoption; the problems of a Cartesian understanding of knowledge; aspects of organizational complexity; and meta-theoretical issues in organizational and management research. For academics, researchers, and students of knowledge management, organization studies, management studies, strategic management, and applied epistemology. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780191036958
Publisher:	OUP Oxford
Publication date:	12/02/2004
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Haridimos Tsoukas is the George D. Mavros Research Professor of Organization and Management at ALBA in Greece, and Professor of Organization Studies, University of Warwick, UK. Previous positions held include Lecturer at Warwick Business School (1990-5), and Associate Professor at the University of Cyprus.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Part I: Explorations into Organizational Knowledge
1: The Firm as a Distributed Knowledge System
2: Forms of Knowledge and Forms of Life in Organized Contexts
3: (with E. Valdimirou): What is Organizational Knowledge?
4: The Tyranny of Light: The Temptations and the Paradoxes of the Information Society
5: Where Does New Organizational Knowledge Come From?
Part II: Coping with Organizational Complexity
6: (with D. Papoulias): Understanding Social Reforms: A Conceptual Analysis
7: Chaos, Compelxity, and Organiztion Theory
8: (with Mary Jo Hatch): Complex Thinking, Complex Practice: The Case for a Narrative Approach to Organizational Complexity
9: Reading Organizations: Uncertainty, Complexity, Narrativity
Part III: Meta-Knowledge: The Epistemology of Management Research
10: Refining Common Sense: Types of Knowledge in Management Studies
11: The Word and the World: A Critique of Representationalism in Management Research
12: What is Good Theory? Arguments for a Discursive Organization Science
13: (with Christian Knudsen): The Conduct of Strategy Research

Editorial Reviews

"Tsoukas presents a collection of previously-published essays and conference presentations which he wrote or co-authored during the past decade. The text employs Gregory Bateson's view of epistemology to examine the notion of organizational knowledge. For academics, researchers, and students of knowledge management, organization studies, management studies, strategic management, and applied epistemology."—Reference & Research Book News

From the Publisher