New Volume on "Religion and Organization Theory" edited by Paul Tracey, Nelson Phillips and Michael Lounsbury
The motivation for this volume of Research in the Sociology of Organizations lies in the simple observation that while religion plays an obvious and prominent role in virtually every society and economy worldwide, it has received almost no attention in organizational theory. This is true both in terms of the study of religion in secular organizations and in terms of the study of religious organizations themselves. A greater focus on religion in organizational analysis is therefore important for three reasons. First, the study of religious organizations may generate significant novel insights into a range of topics and issues such as identity, culture and motivation with clear relevance for organizations of all kinds. Second, organizational members do not set aside their religious beliefs and practices when they become organizational members and, in fact, there is increasing evidence of the importance of formal religious practices in some corporate settings. Third, part of the intellectual project of organizations research involves building knowledge about social and behavioral processes in all kinds of organization; a singular focus on commercial organizations is incompatible with such an endeavour.
This volume contains 11 papers from leading organizational scholars that push forward our understanding of religion and organization in important ways. The papers are organized around four themes: religion and organization at the micro-level; religious organizational forms and practices; religion and institutional theory; religion and social movements. Combined, the constituent papers constitute an important step towards a fuller engagement with religion in organization theory.
Part 1: Introduction
Taking Religion Seriously in the Study of Organizations
Paul Tracey, Nelson Phillips, Michael Lounsbury
God on Management: The World's Largest Religions, the 'Theological Turn', and Organization and Management Theory and Practice
Bruno Dyck
Part 2: Studying Religion and Organization at the Micro-level
Religion in Organizations: Cognition and Behavior
Gary R Weaver and Jason M Stansbury
Myths to Work by: Redemptive Self-narratives and Generative Agency for Organizational Change
WE Douglas Creed, Rich DeJordy and Jaco Lok
Part 3: Religious Organizational Forms and Practices
Organizational Form, Structure and Religious Organizations
CR Hinings and Mia Raynard
Pastor Practices in the Era of Megachurches: New Organizational Practices and Forms for a Changing Institutional Environment
Marvin Washington, Harry J Van Buren III and Karen Patterson
Part 4: Religion and Institutional Theory
Divine Institution: Max Weber's Value Spheres and Institutional Theory
Roger Friedland
Productive Resistance: A Study of Change, Emotions and Identity in the Context of the Apostolic Visitation of US Women's Religious, 2008-2012
Simona Giorgi, Margaret E. Guilder and Jean M Bartunek
Serving Two Masters: Transformative Resolutions to Institutional Contradictions
Rich DeJordy, Brad Almond, Richard Nielsen and WE Douglas Creed
The Institutional Complexity of Religious Mutual Funds: Appreciating the Uniqueness of Societal Logics
Jared L Peifer
Part 5: Religion and Social Movements
The Devil's Advocate and the Church: Building Adaptable Organizations
Paolo Parigi
"Why are We Talking about Light Bulbs in the Church?" Political and Market Mobilization for Energy Efficiency in Two Interfaith Social Change Organizations
Dina Biscotti and Nicole Woolsey Biggart
Nelson Phillips
Professor of Strategy and OB
Imperial College Business School
Visiting Professor
Aalto University, Helsinki, Finland
Imperial College Business School
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