Chronigami: Folding and unfolding time

Abstract

Publication date 1995 Publication informationAccounting, Management & Information Technologies, 5 (2): 103-121Publisher Elsevier Item record/more information http://hdl.handle.net/10197/5821 Publisher's statementThis is the author's version of a work that was accepted for publication in Accounting, Management and Information Technologies. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Accounting, Management and Information Technologies (VOL 5, ISSUE 2, (1995) We also warmly thank Richard Boland and two anonymous reviewers for their thoughtful and constructive suggestions.2 CHRONIGAMI : FOLDING AND UNFOLDING TIME Abstract -Time is a construct or variable that is fundamental to a variety of theories of organisational change and strategic planning, as well as numerous mid-range models such as the product life cycle. In virtually all of these models, time is assumed to be unproblematic, independent, 'out there', and unilinear; time follows its own arrow. In contrast, constructivists point out that time is socially constructed and that in any society a repertoire of chronological codes is employed. The problem is that neither of these approaches, which reflect the objective / nature -subjective / social divide, on which the epistemological discourse in the social sciences is built, is very enlightening. The naive realist understanding is a chronological cul-de-sac; clocks, calendars, and caesium atoms tell the whole story. In contrast, the constructivist approach tells us that time is a social construction and that there are multiple chronological codes, although the implications of this finding are less than obvious.This paper seeks to begin to fill this lacuna by presenting an understanding of how time is constructed and who does the construction. In doing so, it draws heavily on actor-network theory with its emphasis on overcoming the dualism between the natural and social worlds This use of actor-network theory is illustrated with the use of a longitudinal, ethnographic study of the dynamics of organising in the context of a large construction project. The Oriental paper-folding art of Origami is introduced as a metaphor for understanding the construction and deconstruction of time.

Folding and Unfolding: Balancing Openness and Transparency in Open Source Communities

“…It is a folding from what happens outside, in the larger world and community, into a more secluded inside that generates a temporary pocket of stability and retreat for reflective organizing (Deleuze 1992;Deleuze and Strauss 1991;Kavanagh and Araujo 1995). We are inspired by Deleuze's ideas and by Kavanagh and Araujo's accessible interpretation of how technologies can foster capsules that offer those 'inside' some momentary measure of a more quiet space.…”

Organizational Time: a Dialectical View

“…In this light, a cyclic perception of time is more likely to be popular in organizations with an orientation towards planning, as these tend to see this process as a way of successfully handling future and present challenges by drawing on knowledge about the past. Therefore, these companies' managers are mostly busy with 'folding the past into the present' (Kavanagh & Araujo, 1995) by formulating plans that use routines that worked in the past, to handle the issues the organization is facing in the present. In this vein, a view of time where the past plays an important role is more commonplace in those firms that prefer reflection over action because they see the changes in their environment as a re-enactment of what has happened in the past.…”

“…Moreover, these firms also fear that the pervasiveness of the past hampers their ability to correctly perceive and address the challenges the environment poses, and they are thus more interested in unlearning that past than in using it to chart their future (Miller & Chen, 1994). In this approach, managers are called upon to 'fold the future into the present' (Kavanagh & Araujo, 1995) by relying on action to handle current issues and by looking back into that action in order to make sense of the direction of their organization. In this vein, a view of time that finds little place for the past is more likely to appear in those organizations that favor action over reflection, because these organizations see the changes in their environments as so pervasive and relevant that they seek constant adaptation.…”

Managing Time in a Software Factory: Temporal and Spatial Organization of IS Development Activities

“…Team members' work was marked by signi cant changes of pace in which periods of relative inactivity, such as waiting for a colleague to become available to complete some joint task, were matched by intensive efforts as deadlines for projects approached. This would suggest the existence of multiple temporalities, as Kavanagh and Araujo (1995) propose. For example, from the point of view of a particular project, time might typically start off at a leisurely pace, as the rst elements of the design were introduced.…”