Includes bibliographical references and index.

Management, organizations and contemporary social theory / Stewart Clegg & Miguel Pina e Cunha -- Ethnomethodology / Andrea Whittle & Frank Mueller -- Actor-network theory : Michel Callon, Bruno Latour, John Law / Damian O'Doherty -- Giddens and structuration theory / Ira Chatterjee, Jagat Kunwar and Frank den Hond -- Morphogenesis and reflexivity : margaret archer, critical realism and organizational analysis / Alistair Mutch -- Pierre Bourdieu and elites : making the hidden visible / Mairi Maclean and Charles Harvey -- Theodor Schatzki's theory and its implications for organization studies / Georg Loscher, Violetta Splitter and David Seidl -- Mary Douglas and institutions / Dean Pierides and Graham Sewell -- Norbert Elias and organizations / Robert van Krieken -- Luhmann and organizations as social systems / Xavier Deroy -- Organizing Foucault : power, knowledge and governmentality / Alan McKinlay and Eric Pezet -- The Frankfurt School and critical theory -- Edward Granter -- Judith Butler and performativity / Kate Kenny -- Castells and informationalism / Sandro Mendonça, Cátia Miriam Costa and Tiago Lima Quintanilha -- Liquefying modernity : Zygmunt Bauman as organization theorist / Stewart Clegg & Miguel Pina e Cunha -- Management, organizations and contemporary social theory : an index of possibilities / Miguel Pina e Cunha & Stewart Clegg -- Index.

Social theorists speculate about large-scale social questions, asking of any phenomenon, how is it possible? This book addresses how various social theories contribute key insights into the nature of organizations and management. The cast of characters to be found in this book have had a transcendental impact, including on the practices of the management and organization disciplines. For students, however, engaging with social theory in a conversation that is much broader and potentially richer than those that may have been previously encountered is not at first easy. The question is where to begin: this book provides answers. Drawing on research from international contributors, this valuable textbook is an essential resource for students and introduces key social theories and theorists making them accessible to a management audience. The chapters include objectives and end-of-chapter reflective questions, as well as a glossary for readers grappling with new terms.