Understanding the rift, the (still) uneasy bedfellows of History and Organization Studies
Although the use of History has become increasingly discussed and more widely applied within Organization Studies (OS), its relevance for OS still remains far from centrally accepted. This article historicizes the relationship between Sociology and History as a means of better understanding the tens...
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| Format: | Article |
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doi: 10.1177/1350508413514286
2014
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| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/31713/ |
| _version_ | 1848794258954256384 |
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| author | Greewood, Anna Bernardi, Andrea |
| author_facet | Greewood, Anna Bernardi, Andrea |
| author_sort | Greewood, Anna |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Although the use of History has become increasingly discussed and more widely applied within Organization Studies (OS), its relevance for OS still remains far from centrally accepted. This article historicizes the relationship between Sociology and History as a means of better understanding the tensions, perceived and real, that exist between History and Organization Studies. In particular we analyse three differences of epistemological standpoint (method, objectivity and usefulness) that are commonly seen as the foundation stones to incompatibility. Perhaps surprisingly for an analysis of apparent disciplinary differences, we find that these distinctions in terms of approach, once closely examined, are rarely clear-cut and historians and OS scholars are frequently closer in intention and method than they are distant. However, despite their large intersection of interests, we argue that important distinctions between the two fields should be acknowledged. Our contribution to the debates over the need for more historical approaches within OS therefore centrally rests on abandoning aspirations for fully integrative models of working together, in favour of cooperative modes that concede the fields’ differences. This subtle shift of emphasis will, we believe, greatly benefit OS scholars who hope to include historical perspectives in their work. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:13:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | nottingham-31713 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:13:21Z |
| publishDate | 2014 |
| publisher | doi: 10.1177/1350508413514286 |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-317132020-05-04T16:57:47Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/31713/ Understanding the rift, the (still) uneasy bedfellows of History and Organization Studies Greewood, Anna Bernardi, Andrea Although the use of History has become increasingly discussed and more widely applied within Organization Studies (OS), its relevance for OS still remains far from centrally accepted. This article historicizes the relationship between Sociology and History as a means of better understanding the tensions, perceived and real, that exist between History and Organization Studies. In particular we analyse three differences of epistemological standpoint (method, objectivity and usefulness) that are commonly seen as the foundation stones to incompatibility. Perhaps surprisingly for an analysis of apparent disciplinary differences, we find that these distinctions in terms of approach, once closely examined, are rarely clear-cut and historians and OS scholars are frequently closer in intention and method than they are distant. However, despite their large intersection of interests, we argue that important distinctions between the two fields should be acknowledged. Our contribution to the debates over the need for more historical approaches within OS therefore centrally rests on abandoning aspirations for fully integrative models of working together, in favour of cooperative modes that concede the fields’ differences. This subtle shift of emphasis will, we believe, greatly benefit OS scholars who hope to include historical perspectives in their work. doi: 10.1177/1350508413514286 2014-11-07 Article PeerReviewed Greewood, Anna and Bernardi, Andrea (2014) Understanding the rift, the (still) uneasy bedfellows of History and Organization Studies. Organization, 21 (6). pp. 907-932. ISSN 1461-7323 history organization research methods social sciences http://org.sagepub.com/content/21/6/907 doi:10.1177/1350508413514286 doi:10.1177/1350508413514286 |
| spellingShingle | history organization research methods social sciences Greewood, Anna Bernardi, Andrea Understanding the rift, the (still) uneasy bedfellows of History and Organization Studies |
| title | Understanding the rift, the (still) uneasy bedfellows of History and Organization Studies |
| title_full | Understanding the rift, the (still) uneasy bedfellows of History and Organization Studies |
| title_fullStr | Understanding the rift, the (still) uneasy bedfellows of History and Organization Studies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Understanding the rift, the (still) uneasy bedfellows of History and Organization Studies |
| title_short | Understanding the rift, the (still) uneasy bedfellows of History and Organization Studies |
| title_sort | understanding the rift, the (still) uneasy bedfellows of history and organization studies |
| topic | history organization research methods social sciences |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/31713/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/31713/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/31713/ |