The creation and spread of management knowledge - A social constructivist perspective

Wruk, Dominika

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URL:	https://ub-madoc.bib.uni-mannheim.de/33031
URN:	urn:nbn:de:bsz:180-madoc-330310
Document Type:	Doctoral dissertation
Year of publication:	2013
Place of publication:	Mannheim
University:	Universität Mannheim
Evaluator:	Woywode, Michael
Date of oral examination:	6 March 2013
Publication language:	English
Institution:	Business School > Mittelstandsforschung u. Entrepreneurship (Woywode)
Subject:	300 Social sciences, sociology, anthropology 330 Economics 650 Management
Classification:	JEL: M10, C12, C30,
Subject headings (SWD):	Wissensproduktion , Wissenssoziologie , Konstruktivismus <Soziologie> , Neoinstitutionalismus , Selbstdarstellung
Individual keywords (German):	Organisationale Praktiken , Managementkonzepte , Managementwissen , Sozialkonstruktivismus , Neo-Institutionalismus , Impression Management , Co-occurrence Analyse , Unternehmenswebseiten
Keywords (English):	Organizational Practice , Management Concept , Management Knowledge , Social Constructivism , New Institutionalism , Co-occurrence Analysis , Organizational Websites
Abstract:	Organizations are surrounded by a large variety of modern organizational practices such as Lean Production, Management by Objectives, or Diversity Management, capturing management knowledge about how processes are carried out and by whom, how employees are lead and motivated, how decisions are made or relevant constituents are addressed etc. But how does management knowledge develop and spread? How are new managerial ideas connected to existing knowledge objects and thus potentially become part of the accepted stock of management knowledge? To approach these questions, in this dissertation the development and spread of management knowledge are conceptualized as processes of theorization. Through these processes of social construction, new ideas are shaped, discussed and spread by legitimate social actors such as academics, journalists, consultants and organizations. By deepening and refining the theoretical basis of the concept of theorization and by applying new methods of data collection to different empirical settings, this dissertation contributes to develop a deeper understanding of the patterns and social mechanisms of knowledge production as well as the social actors involved.