Abstract
Research has identified improvisation as a creative and open activity
that can be harnessed to encourage innovation and learning within the
organization. In this paper, we present improvisation as a covert
phenomenon, occurring in a climate of mistrust and fear of censure, and
disconnected with wider organizational learning. Drawing on qualitative
evidence of a Fire Service in the United Kingdom, we explore hidden
improvisation, and identify the conditions and processes that can
connect these local deviations to wider processes of learning. We show
that while most improvisations remain hidden and contained to avoid
wider scrutiny, certain conditions of frequency, connectedness and scale
escalate events to become more visible to supervisors and managers. The
learning outcomes from these visible improvisations will then depend on
management’s interpretation, evaluation and translation of improvising
behaviours. Dependent on prior relationships of trust and credibility,
middle management perform a key brokering role in this process,
connecting previously hidden improvisation to wider organizational
systems and structures.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 861–883 |
Journal | Organization Studies |
Volume | 43 |
Issue number | 6 |
Early online date | 7 Aug 2021 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jun 2022 |
Keywords
- Critical incidents
- Firefighters
- High reliability organization
- Improvisation
- Organizational learning
- Process study