Informality in organization and research : a review and a
proposal

Rooke, JA; Koskela, LJ; Kagioglou, M

Abstract

The growing interest in informal and emergent features of organizations has
accompanied changes both in the dominant forms of organization and prevailing
academic views about how best to think about and research them. It is argued here
that currently espoused dichotomous characterizations of both organizations and
research approaches are over-simplified and misleading.
A review of types of organisation research is conducted and it is suggested that the
relationship between theory and data collection provides a more detailed and
illuminating taxonomy than a distinction between qualitative and quantitative
research. Two major distinctions are proposed: [1] between theory driven and
phenomenon driven research; [2] between descriptive and prescriptive theory. It is
suggested that organization theory is properly prescriptive in nature.
The place of informality in organization and management studies is explicated,
drawing on insights from Wittgenstein and ethnomethodology (EM). A distinction is
drawn between [1] the degree of formality in particular organizational settings and [2]
the necessarily informal foundations of formal organizational schemes and methods.
Finally, the organization of research itself is addressed. A prescriptive theory (TFV)
is suggested as a means of organizing and accounting for the research process. This
suggestion serves as both [1] a proposal for research management and [2] an
illustration of the relationship between theory and organization.

Citation

proposal. Construction Management and Economics, 27(10), 913-922. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446190903273950

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 20, 2009
• Online Publication Date: Nov 23, 2009
• Publication Date: Nov 23, 2009
• Deposit Date: Oct 26, 2009
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 7, 2021
• Journal: Construction Management and Economics
• Print ISSN: 0144-6193
• Electronic ISSN: 1466-433X
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 27
• Issue: 10
• Pages: 913-922
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01446190903273950
• Keywords: Research methods; Research policy; Organization theory; Organizational analysis; Production process.
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01446190903273950
• Related Public URLs: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rcme20/current