Organizations as rhetoric. Knowledge-intensive firms and the struggle with ambiguity: A retrospective account
Professor Mats Alvesson, Professor of Business Administration, Lund University and Honorary Professor, UQ Business School
| When: |
Friday, 27 February 2009 |
| Where: |
Room 112 Colin Clark Building, UQ St Lucia Campus |
| Time: |
1.00pm - 2.30pm |
| Hosted by: |
Knowledge in Organization Group |
| Abstract: |
This article discusses the concepts of knowledge-intensive workers and firms. The functional view is questioned and a perspective on knowledge as institutionalized myth and rationality-surrogate is proposed. The ambiguity of knowledge work is emphasized and it is argued that a crucial dimension of a
knowledge-intensive organization concerns the struggle with this ambiguity, which leads to efforts to refine various rhetorical strategies. Besides those stressing knowledge, science and rationality, the article points to rhetoric describing employees in knowledge-intensive firms as possessing other personal
qualities and orientations than personnel employed in bureaucracies. |
| Further information: |
Download paper |
All staff and postgraduate students are welcome to attend.
