The lure of the visual: Multimodality, simplification, and performance measurement visualizations in a megaproject

Ronzani, Matteo; Gatzweiler, Marian Konstantin

doi:10.1016/j.aos.2021.101296

Cited by 19 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 79 publications

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“…Current institutional scholarship conceives of institutions as multimodal accomplishments (Jancsary et al, 2017;Jones et al, 2017). In this context, the recent paper by Ronzani and Gatzweiler (2021) on PMM in an infrastructure megaproject explains that multimodality scholars "seek to explore the interaction of multiple sign systems in generating meaning in organizations [. .…”

Section: Methodology: How To Study Manifestations Of Pmm Systems?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…, 2017). In this context, the recent paper by Ronzani and Gatzweiler (2021) on PMM in an infrastructure megaproject explains that multimodality scholars “seek to explore the interaction of multiple sign systems in generating meaning in organizations […] [and] emphasize how meaning is a supra-individual construct accomplished through multiple modes of communication (e.g. text and visuals)”.…”

Section: Current Topics In Institutional Research and Their Relevance...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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“What is going on in the ‘big tent’?” Current developments in (new) institutional theory and performance measurement and management research

Polzer

2022

JPBAFM

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PurposeIn a recent paper that was published in Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting and Financial Management, Modell (2021) takes stock of the institutional research on performance measurement and management (PMM) in the public sector and proposes a number of avenues for further inquiry in the area. The aim of this comment is to contextualise some of his observations against the backdrop of current developments in (new) institutional theory.Design/methodology/approachThe recent scholarly debate about whether institutional theory needs any redirecting is the point of departure for this comment. Three of the themes from this debate are revisited and implications for research on PMM in the public sector are outlined.FindingsFirst, against the backdrop of an emerging plethora of organisational forms in the public sector, this comment focusses on the locus or “where” PMM can be analysed and how organisational forms affect PMM. The second point addresses the “what” of analysis, where it is argued that PMM instruments are embedded in an ecology of concepts and a relational perspective on diffusion is introduced. A third observation is related to methodological issues and discusses the “how”: how best to study manifestations of PMM systems.Originality/valueThe comment illustrates a number of implications of the current developments in (new) institutional theory for research on PMM. In so doing, the wider ambition is to stimulate an exchange between public-sector accounting and organisation studies.

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Section: Methodology: How To Study Manifestations Of Pmm Systems?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Current Topics In Institutional Research and Their Relevance...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“What is going on in the ‘big tent’?” Current developments in (new) institutional theory and performance measurement and management research

Polzer

2022

JPBAFM

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“…For example, the well-known "polar bear on a single ice shelf" picture widely used to illustrate global warming effects (https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-53474445) is now regarded by some as counter-performative. Ronzani and Gatzweiler (2022) have recently critically studied the importance of giving due consideration to actual information and its multimodal representation in infographics, in a blend of the visual, textual and numerical/factual. They observe that we lack understanding of what can happen when visuals are so embedded in organizations that they become a key semiotic resource for communicating performance measurement information.…”

Section: Embracing Aesthetics and Emotionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interconnectedness and the web of accountabilities: Humboldtian approaches to social and environmental accounting

Lehner

Kyriacou²

2023

AAAJ

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PurposeCurrent accounting practice tends to split environmental complexities into quantifiable, codified elements, producing codified simplifications of the “complex” in pursuit of environmental externalities. This has led to standardization, but has done little to motivate organizations to engage in more environmentally-aware behavior that transcends the coercive dimensions of codification. The work of Alexander von Humboldt (1769–1859) can bring new insights and perspectives to social and environmental accounting (SEA). In discussing Humboldt's philosophy of understanding the interconnectedness between people, their contexts (cultures) and their environment, the authors contribute to the emerging SEA literature on notions of interconnectedness and the web of accountabilities. The authors also explore how a Humboldtian approach may help break through the current epistemological boundaries of SEA by combining accurate measurement with imagery to make the “complex” manageable whilst embracing interconnectedness and hermeneutics.Design/methodology/approachIn this conceptual paper, the authors humbly draw on Humboldt's legacy and explore the underlying philosophical assumptions of Humboldtian science. The authors then contrast these with current SEA approaches in the literature and derive new insights into their intentionality and practical use.FindingsRe-examining Humboldt's pioneering work enables us to pinpoint what might be missing from current SEA approaches and debates. Humboldt upheld an “ethics of precision,” which included both measurement accuracy and qualitative relevance, and combined hands-on scientific fieldwork with the aesthetic ideals and interconnectedness of the age of Romanticism. Drawing on Humboldtian science, the authors propose focusing on the interconnectedness of nature and humanity, embracing the qualitative and hermeneutical and including aesthetics and emotion in environmental visualizations.Originality/valueThe paper elucidates why and how Humboldtian science might inform, guide and enhance the emancipatory potential of SEA in the 21st century. Specifically, the authors discuss Humboldt's approach of linking accurate measurement with imagery to convey a sense of interconnectedness.

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“…Visuals and images can be instrumental for the engagement with grand challenge topics in virtue of how they can "speak" to us and sensitize us to issues in a more direct manner compared to other semiotic resources, such as text or numbers (Ronzani & Gatzweiler, 2021;Quattrone, Ronzani, Jancsary, & Höllerer, 2021;Barberá-Tomás, Castelló, de Bakker, & Zietsma, 2019). For instance, interactive visuals haven been shown to work as powerful engines for the engagement with the sustainable development indicators by bringing to life abstract and technical concepts, and prompt collective problem identification and action (Bandola-Gill, Grek, & Ronzani, 2021).…”

Section: Implications For Learning On Grand Challengesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Grand Challenges and Business Education: Dealing with Barriers to Learning and Uncomfortable Knowledge

Gatzweiler¹,

Frey-Heger²,

Ronzani³

2022

Research in the Sociology of Organizations

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In this article, we explore some of the barriers that prevent learning about grand challenges. By grand challenges, we refer to transformational social and environmental issues and the critical barriers toward addressing them. Despite recent research contributions, initiatives, and calls for action to focus on such concerns, relatively little is known about the different barriers that hinder learning about grand challenges. To explore these issues, we draw from Rayner's (2012) concept of uncomfortable knowledge, defined as knowledge that is disagreeable to organizations because it may challenge their value base, self-perception, organizing principles, or sources of legitimacy. Focusing on the example of recent programmatic attempts to advance "responsible education" in business schools, we identify three barriers to learning about grand challenges: Cognitive overload, emotional detachment, and organizational obliviousness. We conclude by outlining several implications on how to overcome these barriers, adding to recent academic and policy debates on how to make

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The lure of the visual: Multimodality, simplification, and performance measurement visualizations in a megaproject

Cited by 19 publications

References 79 publications

“What is going on in the ‘big tent’?” Current developments in (new) institutional theory and performance measurement and management research

“What is going on in the ‘big tent’?” Current developments in (new) institutional theory and performance measurement and management research

Interconnectedness and the web of accountabilities: Humboldtian approaches to social and environmental accounting

Grand Challenges and Business Education: Dealing with Barriers to Learning and Uncomfortable Knowledge

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