Practice Theory Work And Organization

The volume provides a rigorous yet accessible introduction to this emerging area of study.

The volume provides a rigorous yet accessible introduction to this emerging area of study.

This summary of theory and practice is inspired by the belief that cut and dried solutions to management problems are inappropriate and that every set of circumstances requires a unique synthesis of experience and relevant theories. In this book the authors have reviewed the main texts and theories of organization and have added the lessons learned from an unrivalled volume of practical experience, garnered from some 900 consultants working in more than twenty countries.

This new text takes a unique practice-based approach, identifying questions, problems and issues that are perceived as pertinent by practitioners, and using these as the starting point to identify the relevant theories.

The ability of a business to engage in real organizational learning and to do so faster and in a more sustainable way than its competitors is being increasingly seen as an essential component of success. In Making Sense of Organizational Learning, Cyril Kirwan examines the wide range of factors necessary to create and sustain organizational learning and knowledge at all levels. At the individual level, the generation of continuous learning opportunities and reflection on experiences are critically important. At the team level, it’s about encouraging collaboration, team learning and the sharing of knowledge. At the organizational level, the emphasis is on building systems to capture and share knowledge and providing strategic leadership for learning. The book shows you how you can best exploit the knowledge that already exists within your organization while at the same time develop the capability of the people that work there. It deals in turn with individual learning; learning with others; learning in organizations; and in particular the role of the HR function and of line managers. Each chapter provides theoretical background and real-world examples. Diagnostic questionnaires, checklists and other tools are also included. Making Sense of Organizational Learning provides an evidence-based argument for the adoption of effective organizational learning policies and practices, and offers a real opportunity to improve performance. Thinking practitioners working in and around learning and development or organization development will find it invaluable, as will those undertaking post-graduate study in HR and related disciplines.

"...this book advances the "practice perspective," using behaviour and activities of successful, experienced, and skilled managers as the primary data for theorizing good management."--Cover.

Aims to bring together, present, and discuss what is known about work and organizations and their connection to broader economic change in Europe and America. This volume contains a range of theoretically informed essays, which give comprehensive coverage of changes in work, occupations, and organizations.

International Practice Theory is the definitive introduction to the practice turn in world politics, providing an accessible, up-to-date guide to the approaches, concepts, methodologies and methods of the subject. Situating the study of practices in contemporary theory and reviewing approaches ranging from Bourdieu’s praxeology and communities of practice to actor-network theory and pragmatic sociology, it documents how they can be used to study international practices empirically. The book features a discussion of how scholars can navigate ontological challenges such as order and change, micro and macro, bodies and objects, and power and critique. Interpreting practice theory as a methodological orientation, it also provides an essential guide for the design, execution and drafting of a praxiographic study.