The Spatial Construction of Organization: (12 Advances in Organization Studies)

An important challenge to organization theory is to search for constructs that explain how contexts for work emerge, evolve, persist and change. This book explores the concept of "space" as representing a wide variety of contexts. Organization as a process, as distinguished from organization as an entity, is seen as the construction of space, where space is the outcome of human action and interaction as well as providing a context for actions and interaction. The book shows how different forms of space lie at the base of a number of developments in organization theory. It then takes the step to show how contemporary developments in social science represented by works by writers such as Giddens, Luhmann, Latour and Bourdieu can be used to establish a dynamic understanding of organization as space. Insights from these discussions are used to establish a unique and coherent way of understanding complexities of modern organization.

Table of Contents:
1. Acknowledgements, pix; 2. Preface, pxi-xiii; 3. Introduction: making maps - and mapping the structure of the book, pxv-xx; 4. 1. The subject is organization, p1-17; 5. 2. Between form and action: The case for contexts, p19-40; 6. 3. Organization as context, p41-58; 7. 4. From context to space, p59-75; 8. 5. Boundaries in fields of spaces, p77-84; 9. 6. Physical space: Organization by regulation and binding, p85-99; 10. 7. Mental space: Organization by thought, p101-114; 11. 8. Social space: Organization by bonding, p115-124; 12. 9. Spatial dynamics, p125-139; 13. 10. Putting space into perspective, p141-148; 14. Bibliography, p149-158; 15. Name index, p159-162; 16. Subject index, p163-164

Review :
In this fascinating and well-written book, Hernes suggests using space to replace context as a concept for understanding the emergent, unbounded and recursive nature of social interaction that we call organization. Hernes shows us how understanding the physical, mental and social space in which organization takes place enables us to include in our theories of organization phenomena that have been difficult to comprehend with more static concepts. At one point Hernes states that "...spatialization may be essential for human existence, but it is also consequential in that once it has occurred, life will not be the same as it was before" (p 66). It is not an exaggeration to paraphrase that spatialization is essential for understanding organization and once it has occurred organization will not be the same as it was before.