Organizations as Collective Subjects in the Formation of Transitions Over the Life Course

Abstract

Most transitions over the course of one’s life are embedded in organizations. Therefore, organizations can be understood as powerful actors in dealing with transitions. In organizations, subjects learn and practice requirements. And, if needed, the failure of an unsuccessful transition can be compensated for. But an organization can also be a shelter, a place for subjects to retreat from demands or to develop subversive practices. Accordingly, it would be insufficient to see organizations as merely institutionalized frameworks for transitions. Organizations are dynamic entities – sometimes more so, sometimes less so. And as such, they also undergo transitions. Using two empirical case studies, a relational perspective on the relationship between transitions and organizations is elaborated upon. After a brief introduction to an understanding of organizations as collective subjects, in a first approach we refer to transitions of organizations in their institutional environments. In the second approach, we focus on the interior and examine from different perspectives how transitions are produced and shaped in organizations. In a final synopsis, we discuss the key insights of a relational perspective on organizations for transition research.