Emerging during the late nineteenth century in the diverse scholarship of US commentators such as Charles Sanders Peirce, William James and John Dewey, American pragmatism shaped many intellectual currents within a range of disciplines including politics, education, administrative science and religion. Despite attracting attention and interest due to its conceptualization of theory, in terms of its practical consequences for improving the human condition, American pragmatism struggled to maintain its influence and suffered a hiatus until it experienced a renaissance within scholarly circles during the 1970s. While renewed interest in American pragmatism continues to grow, with some scholars distinguishing between classical, neo and new forms of pragmatism, it is only relatively recently that organization studies scholars have drawn upon American pragmatist philosophies for shedding new light on aspects of contemporary organizational life. This edited collection builds on this emergent literature in an engaging and scholarly manner. American Pragmatism and Organization is a ground-breaking collection and distinctive in its book-length treatment of American pragmatism as a relevant resource for analysing organisations. It draws together an international body of research focused on the interconnections and interplay between American pragmatism and organizational phenomena, explores the theoretical possibilities afforded by pragmatist thinking for understanding organization, and illuminates the practical advantages of doing so
Part 1 Theory and Context: American pragmatism and organisation studies: concepts, themes and possibilities, Nick Rumens and Mihaela Kelemen; Neo-pragmatism and phenomenology: a proposal, Patrick Baert; The economic crisis and the crisis in economics: pragmatism and the ontological turn, Peter M. Jackson; Pragmatism, organisations and getting to grips with reality, Tony J. Watson; Eric Voeglin's reading of William James: towards an understanding of leading within the tensions of a pluralistic universe, Nathan Harter; pragmatism, social reconstruction, and organizational theory, David C. Jacobs; American pragmatism and critical management studies, Ian Evans. Part 2 American Pragmatism Applied: Pragmatism and public administration: looking back, looking forward, Patricia M. Shields, Travis A. Whetsell and Emily K. Balanoff-Jones; Understanding organizational creativity: insights from pragmatism, Diane-Laure Arjalies, Philippe Lorino and Barbara Simpson; Organisational learning: knowing in organizing, Ulrik Brandi and Bente Elkjaer; Believing in a pragmatist business ethic, Scott Taylor and Emma Bell; The practice of government finance, John R. Bartle and Patricia M. Shields; A pragmatist approach to emotional intelligence and managerial regret, Rosa Slegers; Developing collaborative power in working life: linking American pragmatism and action research, Tore Hafting and Erik Lindhult; Index.