Organizing: how to study it and how to write about it

The purpose of this paper is to review emerging approaches to field studies of organizing that aim to avoid the problems of traditional methods and techniques.

The paper is based in pragmatist philosophy and constructionist perspective. Within this frame, the paper starts with a brief history of fieldwork methods in organization study, continues by diagnosing their shortcomings in the light of contemporary developments, and ends by reviewing promising approaches to studying contemporary organizations.

Young researchers are warned about possible risks and gains from experimenting with new methods.

The potential value of the paper is in its function of a guide for organization scholars looking for innovative approaches to their study object.