Metaphor, Myth, and the Institutionalisation of the Iron Cage in Management and Organization Theory

Christopher Howorth, Mairi Maclean, Charles Harvey

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaperpeer-review

Abstract

The original translation of Weber’s work into English has resulted in a particular slant being put on the application of his work by organization theorists in English speaking countries that wasn’t there in the original German. Weber’s work on the emergence of capitalism and the emergence (and superiority) of bureaucracy have been conflated when they should, more properly, have been considered separately and this has been exacerbated by the sedimentary way in which academic work is pursued. All the above makes Weber’s works seem less relevant today than, in fact, they are and that a re-reading of Weber from the original text (or modern and improved translations) can help us reclaim his work for the 21st century.
Original languageEnglish
Number of pages21
Publication statusUnpublished - Sept 2016

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