Langley, Ann, Lindberg, Kajsa, Mørk, Bjørn Erik, Nicolini, Davide, Raviola, Elena and Walter, Lars (2019) Boundary work among groups, occupations and organizations : from cartography to process. Academy of Management Annals . doi:10.5465/annals.2017.0089 (In Press)

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Abstract

This article reviews scholarship dealing with the notion of “boundary work,” defined as purposeful individual and collective effort to influence the social, symbolic, material or temporal boundaries, demarcations and distinctions affecting groups, occupations and organizations. We identify and explore the implications of three conceptually distinct but inter-related forms of boundary work emerging from the literature. Competitive boundary work involves mobilizing boundaries to establish some kind of advantage over others. In direct contrast, collaborative boundary work is concerned with aligning boundaries to enable collaboration. Finally, configurational boundary work involves manipulating patterns of differentiation and integration among groups to ensure that certain activities are brought together while others are kept apart, orienting the domains of competition and collaboration. We argue that the notion of boundary work can contribute to the development of a uniquely processual view of organizational design as open-ended, and continually becoming, an orientation with significant future potential for understanding novel forms of organizing, and for integrating agency, power dynamics, materiality, and temporality into the study of organizing.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor
Divisions:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Warwick Business School
SWORD Depositor:	Library Publications Router
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Management, Organization
Journal or Publication Title:	Academy of Management Annals
Publisher:	Academy of Management
ISSN:	1941-6067
Official Date:	15 May 2019
Dates:	Date Event 15 May 2019 Published 15 May 2019 Accepted
Date of first compliant deposit:	24 May 2019
DOI:	10.5465/annals.2017.0089
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	In Press
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access

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