The Concept of Meta-Organization: Issues for Management Studies

Héloïse Berkowitz () and Hervé Dumez
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Héloïse Berkowitz: CRG I3 - Centre de recherche en gestion i3 - X - École polytechnique - IP Paris - Institut Polytechnique de Paris - Université Paris-Saclay - I3 - Institut interdisciplinaire de l’innovation - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Hervé Dumez: CRG I3 - Centre de recherche en gestion i3 - X - École polytechnique - IP Paris - Institut Polytechnique de Paris - Université Paris-Saclay - I3 - Institut interdisciplinaire de l’innovation - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique

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Abstract: In a seminal paper, Ahrne and Brunsson coined the word ‘meta-organization'. More than a label, this word describes a challenging and stimulating concept that can be valuable for management studies when approached with different units of analysis and research methodologies. ‘Meta-organization' refers to a central phenomenon in the contemporary world, namely the increasing importance of collective action at the level of organizations, ensuing from major issues related to sustainable development, human rights and corporate responsibility. The concept calls for new forms of theorizing of global collective action. The diversity and heterogeneity of meta-organizations raise methodological issues that require original approaches. In this paper, we show the novelty of the concept of metaorganization; we then address the methodological difficulties and propose a research agenda on meta-organizations for management studies.

Keywords: meta-organization; collective action; inter-organizational collaboration; concept; research methodology; méta-organisation; action collective; collaboration inter-organisationnelle; concept; méthode de recherche (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016-07
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (16)

Published in European Management Review, 2016, 13 (2), pp.149-156 ⟨10.1111/emre.12076⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-01380375

DOI: 10.1111/emre.12076

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