Organizing Words: A Critical Thesaurus for Social and Organization Studies

Yiannis Gabriel

oct 2008 · Oxford University Press

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Organizing Words presents a series of essays on some 220 widely used - and much debated - terms in the social sciences, and organization studies. Each essay explores the meanings and uses of the word; and also the controversies they have sparked. The book aims to be a first port of call for students, researchers and scholars who wish to familiarize themselves with these key ideas and use them in their own work. The book is neither an encyclopaedia nor a dictionary, but a thesaurus. As such it combines both the original meaning of a thesaurus as a treasure trove, with its more contemporary characteristics of an accessible and practical resource. Primarily aimed at those interested in social and organizational studies, it will appeal to all those interested in the human sciences. It does not claim to be canonical or all-inclusive, but each entry seeks to enlighten and help, without patronizing or obscuring disagreements and difficulties. The book seeks to be re-assuring without being complacent or 'comfortable', to be authoritative without being doctrinaire, and to be critical without being destructive. Words help us express ourselves, and make sense of our experiences and our actions; and they help us to organize ourselves, our thoughts and our universe. Organizing Words will be an invaluable resource for essay-writing and a useful tool in planning and carrying out projects and dissertations. Most of the entries have been written by Yiannis Gabriel, with 40 essays coming from other experts in particular areas.

Acerca del autor

Yiannis Gabriel is Professor of Organizational Theory at Royal Holloway, University of London. Earlier he held posts at Imperial College and the University of Bath. Yiannis has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Imperial College London, where he also carried out post-graduate studies in industrial sociology. He has a PhD in Sociology from the University of California, Berkeley. Yiannis is well known for his work on organizational storytelling and narratives, leadership, management learning, and the culture and politics of contemporary consumption. He has used stories as a way of studying numerous social and organizational phenomena, including leader-follower relations, group dynamics and fantasies, nostalgia, insults, and apologies. More recently, he has explored the education of managers and leaders in institutions of higher education and the ways in which MBAs influence professional practice.