May 2008
ICA Organizational Communication Division Preconference
May 21, 2008
What is an Organization? Materiality, Agency, and Discourse
Wednesday and Thursday - 9:00-5:00PM HEC Montréal
Sponsored Sessions Chair - François Cooren, U de Montreal, CANADA
Participants
Barbara Czarniawska, U of Goteborg, SWEDEN
Bruno Latour, Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris, FRANCE
Haridimos Tsoukas, Athens Laboratory of Business Administration, GREECE
Linda L. Putnam, U of California, Santa Barbara, USA
James R. Taylor, U de Montreal, CANADA
Leading international scholars from various disciplines will gather in Montreal, Canada, to discuss and debate central issues of contemporary organization theory. Obviously, the concept of an organization as primarily a social and economic reality has been challenged from many sides in the past 20 years. Critics coming from various fields of the social sciences (sociology of science, anthropology, discourse analysis, and semiotics, among others) have offered new metaphors and constructs to recast the reality of contemporary organizations in very different realms: culture and meaning, interaction and discourse, and materiality and artifacts, among others. The work of James R. Taylor is an outstanding example of an attempt at synthesizing these various trends in a conception of organization that gives new meaning to basic concepts of organizational studies such as agency, conversation, text, and materiality. With a view to advance the discussion on the fundamental issues of the nature of organizing, agency, and text, this conference brings together the contributions of leaders in the fields of communication
Organizational Communication at Alta Revised
May 21, 2008
Reflection, Synthesis and Engagement
CALL FOR PAPERS
The first Alta Conference, in July 1981, was a landmark event in the intellectual history of organizational communication. Scholars came together to talk about new visions, provocative ideas, and specific ways to develop the field. After more than 25 years, a special conference is being planned on July 25-27, 2008, at the Cliff Lodge in Snowbird, Utah to reflect on where the field of organizational communication is now and what could be new pursuits in theory, research, and practice in the coming years.
This conference is expected to consider: Alta’s legacy and other markers in the development of the field; explorations in theory; innovations in research methods; diverse models for practice, including community engagement; the relevance of social, economic and environmental justice issues; modes of collective action within, between and beyond organizations as traditionally conceived; the interrelations of discourse and materiality, the symbol and the body, and the organization and society; and an array of epistemological positions.
Prospective participants are asked to craft brief position papers that imagine the field, or some aspect of it, for the coming years and clarify their stake in the conversation. Position papers should not exceed 1500 words. These papers will help conference planners develop a responsive overall vision and specific agenda for the conversation; and, if needed, help keep the conversation at a manageable size.
Position papers will be evaluated based on their centrality and relevance to the field of organizational communication—taking into account audiences, stakeholders, interests, and partners within and beyond the walls of the academy.
This call is open and competitive, and as a guiding principle, the conference is chiefly designed for active organizational communication and organizational studies scholars, including faculty and graduate students.
Position papers must be submitted online to: Tim Kuhn, University of Colorado.
The deadline for submission is April 1, 2008
Notification of the acceptance of position papers will be no later April 18, 2008.
Questions related to the submission process should be directed to Gail Fairhurst, University of Cincinnati.
The Cliff Lodge at Snowbird is located in a stunning mountain setting adjacent to the original Alta conference site in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah. Room rates (singe and double occupancy) have been scheduled for $119 per night which includes wireless internet and access to the renowned Cliff Spa, among other amenities. To be eligible for the conference rate, lodging must be reserved by June 25, 2008. Earlier reservations are strongly encouraged due to limited space. Conference registration fees, which include participants’ meals, will not exceed $250, but we are doing all we can to lower these costs through additional funding sources. Details on the registration process will be forthcoming. Meanwhile, we invite you to visit www.snowbird.com for more information on the spectacular Cliff Lodge venue.
Questions related to lodging and logistics should be directed to Corrine Lewis, University of Utah.
General questions can be directed to any member of the planning committee, including Linda Putnam, Karen Ashcraft, George Cheney, Kevin Barge, Stan Deetz, Gail Fairhurst, Tim Kuhn, Dave Seibold, and Cynthia Stohl.