Introductory description

The module aims to provide doctoral students with an understanding of the theoretical basis, methodological implications and scholarly debates on process and practice studies in Business and Management.

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

Feldman, M., Pentland, B. T., D'Adderio, L., Dittrich, K., Rerup, C., & Seidl, D. (2021). Cambridge Handbook of Routine Dynamics. Cambridge: University Press

Cloutier, C., & Langley, A. (2020). What makes a process theoretical contribution? Organization Theory, 1(1)

Feldman, M. S. (2003). Brian T. Pentland. Administrative Science Quarterly, 48, 94-118.

Langley, A. (1999). Strategies for theorizing from process data. Academy of Management Review, 24(4), 691-710.

Langley, A. N. N., Smallman, C., Tsoukas, H., & Van de Ven, A. H. (2013). Process studies of change in organization and management: Unveiling temporality, activity, and flow. Academy of management journal, 56(1), 1-13.

Langley, A., & Tsoukas, H. (2017). Introduction: Process thinking, process theorizing and process researching. The SAGE handbook of process organizational studies, 1-26.

Langley, A., Lindberg, K., Mørk, B. E., Nicolini, D., Raviola, E., & Walter, L. (2019). Boundary work among groups, occupations, and organizations: From cartography to process. Academy of Management Annals, 13(2), 704-736.

Howard-Grenville, J., & Rerup, C. (2016). A process perspective on organizational routines. The SAGE handbook of organization process studies, 323-337.

Nicolini, D., & Monteiro, P. (2017). The practice approach: For a praxeology of organisational and management studies. The Sage handbook of process organization studies, 110-126.

Paroutis, S., Heracleous, L., & Angwin, D. (2016). Practicing strategy: Text and cases. Sage.

Jarzabkowski, P., & Paul Spee, A. (2009). Strategy‐as‐practice: A review and future directions for the field. International journal of management reviews, 11(1), 69-95.

Vaara, E., & Whittington, R. (2012). Strategy-as-practice: Taking social practices seriously. Academy of Management Annals, 6(1), 285-336.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Understand the theoretical foundations and current direction in the research on process and practice.
• Compare, contrast and recognize connections and tensions between different approaches and concepts.
• Identify the gaps and develop ideas about expanding these theories and frameworks through their own research.

Subject specific skills

Understand the theoretical foundations and current direction in the research on process and practice.
Compare, contrast and recognize connections and tensions between different approaches and concepts.
Identify the gaps and develop ideas about expanding these theories and frameworks through their own research.
Appropriately utilize and mobilize concepts.
Navigate the field of process and practice studies to identify the research agenda they intend to contribute to.
Demonstrate an enhanced ability to reflect on the approach the students will adopt in their PhD and critically compare it with those of others.

Transferable skills

Appreciate the topics and empirical issues in this area that can be addressed in a PhD.
Expand the range of theories and approaches used in the PhD project.
Analytical skills.
Critical thinking.
Ability to engage with foundational texts in process and practice studies and to deploy these in their own research