IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/tefoso/v146y2019icp517-533.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The communicative constitution of academic fields in the digital age: The case of CSR

Author

Listed:
  • Wenzel, Matthias
  • Will, Matthias Georg

Abstract

Although the digital transformation of knowledge production has put communication front and center in the production and recreation of academic fields, research on scientific communities still mostly promotes an actor-centric or institutionalist understanding of academic fields. This, we argue, points to the need for a digital transformation of our understanding of academic fields, one that does justice to the important role of communication in the production and recreation of academic fields. Therefore, in this paper, we draw on the “communicative constitution of organizations” (CCO) view to explore how academic fields are communicatively constituted. Our GABEK-based discourse analysis focuses on the communicative constitution of the academic field of corporate social responsibility. Our findings illustrate how academic fields are constituted through the enactment of three communicative practices: embedding, diverging, and converging. Furthermore, our results indicate how the communicative constitution of academic fields occurs through the sequential enactment of these practices. Our theoretical framework extends the literatures on scientific communities and CCO by beginning to develop a communication view of academic fields. These ideas also have implications for the digital transformation of social theory more generally.

Suggested Citation

  • Wenzel, Matthias & Will, Matthias Georg, 2019. "The communicative constitution of academic fields in the digital age: The case of CSR," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 517-533.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:tefoso:v:146:y:2019:i:c:p:517-533
    DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2019.05.006
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0040162518315890
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.techfore.2019.05.006?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Richard Whitley, 1984. "The Fragmented State Of Management Studies: Reasons And Consequences," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(3), pages 331-348, July.
    2. Wenzel, Matthias & Koch, Jochen & Cornelissen, Joep P. & Rothmann, Wasko & Senf, N. Natalie, 2019. "How organizational actors live out paradoxical tensions through power relations: The case of a youth prison," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 155(C), pages 55-67.
    3. David Tilson & Kalle Lyytinen & Carsten Sørensen, 2010. "Research Commentary ---Digital Infrastructures: The Missing IS Research Agenda," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 21(4), pages 748-759, December.
    4. Potstada, Michael & Parandian, Alireza & Robinson, Douglas K.R. & Zybura, Jan, 2016. "An alignment approach for an industry in the making: DIGINOVA and the case of digital fabrication," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 182-192.
    5. Michael Potstada & Alireza Parandian & Douglas K. R. Robinson & Jan Zybura, 2016. "An alignment approach for an industry in the making: DIGINOVA and the case of digital fabrication," Post-Print hal-01276908, HAL.
    6. Rajiv Nag & Donald C. Hambrick & Ming‐Jer Chen, 2007. "What is strategic management, really? Inductive derivation of a consensus definition of the field," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(9), pages 935-955, September.
    7. Friederike Schultz & Itziar Castelló & Mette Morsing, 2013. "The Construction of Corporate Social Responsibility in Network Societies: A Communication View," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 115(4), pages 681-692, July.
    8. Michael Marinetto, 2018. "Fast Food Research in the Era of Unplanned Obsolescence," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(6), pages 1014-1020, September.
    9. Leonhard Dobusch & Dennis Schoeneborn, 2015. "Fluidity, Identity, and Organizationality: The Communicative Constitution of Anonymous," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(8), pages 1005-1035, December.
    10. Rothmann, Wasko & Koch, Jochen, 2014. "Creativity in strategic lock-ins: The newspaper industry and the digital revolution," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 66-83.
    11. Andy Lockett & Jeremy Moon & Wayne Visser, 2006. "Corporate Social Responsibility in Management Research: Focus, Nature, Salience and Sources of Influence," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(1), pages 115-136, January.
    12. David Courpasson & David Arellano-Gault & Andrew Brown & Michael Lounsbury, 2008. "Organization Studies on the look-out? Being read, being listened to," Post-Print hal-02312590, HAL.
    13. Stefan Hielscher & Matthias Georg Will, 2014. "Mental Models of Sustainability: Unearthing and Analyzing the Mental Images of Corporate Sustainability with Qualitative Empirical Research," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(6), pages 708-719, November.
    14. Alfred Kieser & Lars Leiner, 2009. "Why the Rigour–Relevance Gap in Management Research Is Unbridgeable," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(3), pages 516-533, May.
    15. Rodolphe Durand & Robert M. Grant & Tammy L. Madsen & Rodolphe Durand & Robert M. Grant & Tammy L. Madsen, 2017. "The expanding domain of strategic management research and the quest for integration," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(1), pages 4-16, January.
    16. Donald MacKenzie, 2006. "An Engine, Not a Camera: How Financial Models Shape Markets," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262134608, December.
    17. Andreas Georg Scherer & Andreas Rasche & Guido Palazzo & André Spicer, 2016. "Managing for Political Corporate Social Responsibility: New Challenges and Directions for PCSR 2.0," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(3), pages 273-298, May.
    18. Eero Vaara & Eric Faÿ, 2012. "Reproduction and Change on the Global Scale: A Bourdieusian Perspective on Management Education," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(6), pages 1023-1051, September.
    19. Eric Guthey & Mette Morsing, 2014. "CSR and the Mediated Emergence of Strategic Ambiguity," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 120(4), pages 555-569, April.
    20. Julia Balogun & Claus Jacobs & Paula Jarzabkowski & Saku Mantere & Eero Vaara, 2014. "Placing Strategy Discourse in Context: Sociomateriality, Sensemaking, and Power," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(2), pages 175-201, March.
    21. Hannah Trittin & Dennis Schoeneborn, 2017. "Diversity as Polyphony: Reconceptualizing Diversity Management from a Communication-Centered Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 144(2), pages 305-322, August.
    22. Roth, Steffen & Clark, Carlton & Trofimov, Nikolay & Mkrtichyan, Artur & Heidingsfelder, Markus & Appignanesi, Laura & Pérez-Valls, Miguel & Berkel, Jan & Kaivo-oja, Jari, 2017. "Futures of a distributed memory. A global brain wave measurement (1800–2000)," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 307-323.
    23. Julia Balogun & Claus Jacobs & Paula Jarzabkowski & Saku Mantere & Eero Vaara, 2014. "Placing Strategy Discourse in Context : Sociomateriality, Sensemaking, and Power," Post-Print hal-02313123, HAL.
    24. Duane Windsor, 2006. "Corporate Social Responsibility: Three Key Approaches," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(1), pages 93-114, January.
    25. Itziar Castelló & Mette Morsing & Friederike Schultz, 2013. "Communicative Dynamics and the Polyphony of Corporate Social Responsibility in the Network Society," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 118(4), pages 683-694, December.
    26. Matthias Wenzel & Ninja Natalie Senf & Jochen Koch, 2016. "Exploring Complex Phenomena with Qualitative Research Methods: An Examination of Strategic Innovation Trajectories in Haute Cuisine," FGF Studies in Small Business and Entrepreneurship, in: Elisabeth S.C. Berger & Andreas Kuckertz (ed.), Complexity in Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Technology Research, edition 1, pages 163-182, Springer.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Roth, Steffen & Dahms, Harry F. & Welz, Frank & Cattacin, Sandro, 2019. "Print theories of computer societies. Introduction to the digital transformation of social theory," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    2. Roth, Steffen & Schwede, Peter & Valentinov, Vladislav & Žažar, Krešimir & Kaivo-oja, Jari, 2019. "Big data insights into social macro trends (1800–2000): A replication study," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    3. Hua Yu & Muhammad Salman Shabbir & Naveed Ahmad & Antonio Ariza-Montes & Alejandro Vega-Muñoz & Heesup Han & Miklas Scholz & Muhammad Safdar Sial, 2021. "A Contemporary Issue of Micro-Foundation of CSR, Employee Pro-Environmental Behavior, and Environmental Performance toward Energy Saving, Carbon Emission Reduction, and Recycling," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-15, May.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Shameen Prashantham & Mark P. Healey, 2022. "Strategy as Practice Research: Reflections on its Rationale, Approach, and Contributions," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(8), pages 1-17, December.
    2. Richard Whittington, 2018. "Greatness Takes Practice: On Practice Theory’s Relevance to “Great Strategy”," Strategy Science, INFORMS, vol. 3(1), pages 343-351, March.
    3. Roth, Steffen & Schwede, Peter & Valentinov, Vladislav & Pérez-Valls, Miguel & Kaivo-oja, Jari, 2020. "Harnessing big data for a multifunctional theory of the firm," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 54-61.
    4. Bongsug (Kevin) Chae & Eunhye (Olivia) Park, 2018. "Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): A Survey of Topics and Trends Using Twitter Data and Topic Modeling," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-20, June.
    5. Eric Guthey & Mette Morsing, 2014. "CSR and the Mediated Emergence of Strategic Ambiguity," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 120(4), pages 555-569, April.
    6. Roth, Steffen & Dahms, Harry F. & Welz, Frank & Cattacin, Sandro, 2019. "Print theories of computer societies. Introduction to the digital transformation of social theory," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    7. Butler, Nick, 2018. "Fantasies of strategy: Žižek, discourse and enjoyment," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 79-88.
    8. Fang, Mingyue & Nie, Huihua & Shen, Xinyi, 2023. "Can enterprise digitization improve ESG performance?," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    9. Marc Fréchet & Hervé Goy, 2017. "Does strategy formalization foster innovation? Evidence from a French sample of small to medium-sized enterprises," Post-Print hal-01623788, HAL.
    10. Cate Watson & Gary Husband & Aileen Ireland, 2021. "Opening the ‘black box’: what does observational research reveal about processes and practices of governing?," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 25(1), pages 189-221, March.
    11. James Hine & Lutz Preuss, 2009. "“Society is Out There, Organisation is in Here”: On the Perceptions of Corporate Social Responsibility Held by Different Managerial Groups," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 88(2), pages 381-393, August.
    12. Carola Hillenbrand & Kevin Money & Stephen Pavelin, 2012. "Stakeholder-Defined Corporate Responsibility for a Pre-Credit-Crunch Financial Service Company: Lessons for How Good Reputations are Won and Lost," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 105(3), pages 337-356, February.
    13. Caputo, Andrea & Pizzi, Simone & Pellegrini, Massimiliano M. & Dabić, Marina, 2021. "Digitalization and business models: Where are we going? A science map of the field," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 489-501.
    14. Anne Vestergaard & Julie Uldam, 2022. "Legitimacy and Cosmopolitanism: Online Public Debates on (Corporate) Responsibility," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 176(2), pages 227-240, March.
    15. Alex Wright, 2022. "I, strategist," Post-Print hal-04577428, HAL.
    16. Dominik van Aaken & Violetta Splitter & David Seidl, 2012. "Why Do Corporate Actors Engage in Pro-Social Behavior? A Bourdieusian Perspective on Corporate Social Responsibility," Working Papers 319, University of Zurich, Department of Business Administration (IBW).
    17. Bullinger, Bernadette & Kieser, Alfred & Schiller-Merkens, Simone, 2015. "Coping with institutional complexity: Responses of management scholars to competing logics in the field of management studies," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 437-450.
    18. Bingbing Ge & Alfredo De Massis & Josip Kotlar, 2022. "Mining the Past: History Scripting Strategies and Competitive Advantage in a Family Business," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 46(1), pages 223-251, January.
    19. Palmié, Maximilian & Rüegger, Stephanie & Parida, Vinit, 2023. "Microfoundations in the strategic management of technology and innovation: Definitions, systematic literature review, integrative framework, and research agenda," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    20. Elisa Alt & Justin B. Craig, 2016. "Selling Issues with Solutions: Igniting Social Intrapreneurship in for-Profit Organizations," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(5), pages 794-820, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:tefoso:v:146:y:2019:i:c:p:517-533. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00401625 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.