Constructing Organizational Life How Social-Symbolic Work Shapes Selves, Organizations, and Institutions

Thomas B. Lawrence, Professor of Strategy, Said Business School, University of Oxford,Nelson Phillips, Abu Dhabi Chamber Chair in Strategy and Innovation, Imperial College Business School

Thomas B. Lawrence is Professor of Strategy at Said Business School, University of Oxford. Previously he was the Van Dusen Professor in the Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University, Vancouver. His research focuses on the dynamics of agency, power, and institutions in organizations and organizational fields, and has appeared widely in academic and practitioner journals.

Nelson Phillips is the Abu Dhabi Chamber Chair in Strategy and Innovation at Imperial College Business School in London. Prior to joining Imperial, he was the Beckwith Professor of Management Studies at Judge Business School, University of Cambridge. His research interests cut across organization theory, innovation, and entrepreneurship, and he has published widely for both academics and practitioners. He is the Past Chair of the OMT Division of the Academy of Management and is the Co-Editor of Innovation: Management and Organization.

Part I
1. Introduction to Constructing Organizational Life
2. The Social-Symbolic Work Perspective
Part II
3. Self Work
4. Self Work in Management and Organizational Research
5. Organization Work
6. Organization Work in Management and Organizational Research
7. Institutional Work
8. Institutional Work in Management and Organizational Research
Part III
9. Theoretical Opportunities in the Study of Social-Symbolic Work
10. Methodological Challenges and Choices in the Study of Social-Symbolic Work
11. Conclusion: Understanding the Implications of a Social-Symbolic Work Perspective for Scholars, Change-Makers, and Citizens