隐于众目:组织魔法作为揭示与隐藏的争议过程

Hiding in Plain Sight: Organizational magic as a contested process of revelation and concealment

ORGANIZATION STUDIES · 2023
被引 5
人大 AABS 4

中文导读

从人类学和社会学视角将组织魔法概念化为技巧性揭示,即策略性隐藏表演的展演性披露,并强调观众对表演成功与否的争议作用,通过研究免税艺术品仓库(自由港)的魔法仪式来揭示争议性商业模式的建立过程。

Abstract

This article seeks to theorize organizational magic. A vast literature in organization and management studies has come to understand magic as an epiphenomenon, a by-product, an outcome of affective encounters and aesthetic experiences, and thus often synonymous with enchantment. Drawing on classical anthropological and sociological theories, the article conceptualizes magic as skilled revelation, or the performative disclosure of strategically concealed performances. This leads us to highlight the important role of audiences who contest the success of these performances. We apply this theoretical perspective to study tax-exempt hiding places for expensive art collections, so-called freeports. A freeport maintains a symbolic order around charismatic, extraordinary objects. An analysis of how magic rituals of revelation, concealment, de-mystification and transformation come together to create a freeport not only adds to our knowledge about the role of revelatory performances and of contestations in the establishment of controversial business models. Using an anthropological perspective also normalizes our understanding of magic as organizational practice as it rejects conceptual juxtapositions with managerial rationality and disenchantment.

组织理论管理研究社会学人类学