Refereed article in conference proceedings (A4)
Novelty in the flow of time – Taking a view from nowhere in an on-going present
Subtitle: Taking a view from nowhere in an on-going present
List of Authors: Tor Hernes, Juha Laurila, Anni Paalumäki, Ida Danneskiold-Samsøe, Ansgar Ødegård
Place: EGOS - European Group for Organizational Studies
Publication year: 2013
Book title *: EGOS 2013
URL: http://www.egosnet.org/2013_montreal/general_theme
Abstract
Focusing on temporality we inquire into the temporal experience of organizational actors. Drawing upon the ‘view from nowhere’ (Nagel, 1989) we argue that sequentiality and directionality do not serve a temporal view of organization. Instead, we suggest that the on-going experience of organizational actors exhibits entanglements of pastness and futurity. In a sense, the actions of the moment are temporally blind, but attain temporal direction with closure, as the present becomes an event. We illustrate the view with three empirical stories from diverse settings. The argument and illustrations have consequences for the conceptualization of novelty in organizational contexts, which, rather than be understood in terms of degree, becomes seen as the nature of entanglement of pastness and futurity in an on-going present.
Focusing on temporality we inquire into the temporal experience of organizational actors. Drawing upon the ‘view from nowhere’ (Nagel, 1989) we argue that sequentiality and directionality do not serve a temporal view of organization. Instead, we suggest that the on-going experience of organizational actors exhibits entanglements of pastness and futurity. In a sense, the actions of the moment are temporally blind, but attain temporal direction with closure, as the present becomes an event. We illustrate the view with three empirical stories from diverse settings. The argument and illustrations have consequences for the conceptualization of novelty in organizational contexts, which, rather than be understood in terms of degree, becomes seen as the nature of entanglement of pastness and futurity in an on-going present.
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