James March and the poetry of leadership
- Publisher:
- Emerald
- Publication Type:
- Journal Article
- Citation:
- Journal of Management History, 2022, 28, (1), pp. 46-65
- Issue Date:
- 2022-01-03
Closed Access
| Filename | Description | Size | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10-1108_JMH-02-2021-0015.pdf | Published version | 226.61 kB |
Copyright Clearance Process
- Recently Added
- In Progress
- Closed Access
This item is closed access and not available.
Purpose Taking issue with the predominance of reviews of James March s writings that focus on his technical contributions to organizational studies this study aims to emphasize the central significance and contemporary relevance of his critical reflections on the meaning of life and work in modern organizations Design methodology approach The paper uses a novel framework illustrated by extensive original quotations for capturing and making more accessible March s profound contribution to organization studies His work on organizational behaviour and decision making is viewed as identifying and grappling with three key paradoxes of modernity of rationality performance and meaning His prescriptions on how to handle and address these paradoxes are explored through a focus on his reflections on the poetry of leadership Findings Whilst March himself emphasized that not all of his insights can be captured in an article level overview March his collaborator Olsen and others who worked with and studied under him have confirmed the accuracy of the review and the value of the enterprise Practical implications Capturing March s advocacy of sensible foolishness and playful seriousness in the face of ambiguity uncertainty and contestation hopefully contribute to enhancing practitioners lightness of being in coping with and finding meaning in challenging environments Originality value Through the range of ideas covered the framework used and the extensive use of March s own worlds the study hopefully communicates the depth and richness of March s humanitarian enterprise and the playfully serious spirit that he advocates and exemplifies in a way that is often omitted from narrower more technical and somewhat dry treatments of his work 2021 Emerald Publishing Limited
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: