From Agency to Structure: Analysis of an Episode in a Facilitation Process

Cooren, F., Thompson, F., Canestraro, D. S., and Bodor, T.
March 16, 2007

Abstract

Human Relations, Volume 59, Number 4, Fri, 16 Mar 2007, pp 533–565.

In recent publications in organizational communication, the phenomenon of nonhuman agency has been highlighted as a key element whose recognition might allow researchers to better account for the nature and functioning of organizations. This approach consists of showing that the roles machines, tools, documents, architectural elements, and artifacts more generally play in collectives tend to be neglected in social sciences in general and organizational studies in particular, and that recognizing the active contribution of these elements might help us solve both theoretical and analytical problems. 

* The final (edited, revised and typeset) version of this paper was published in Human Relations, Vol 59/Issue 4, 2006 by SAGE Publications Ltd, All rights reserved. © 2006 The Tavistock Institute. For more information please visit: www.sagepub.com.

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