Academy of Management Review Vol. 30 No. 1 2005

Time and Organizational Improvisation

Mary Crossan¹; Miguel Pina E Cunha²; Dusya Vera³; João Vieira da Cunha⁴

¹ The University of Western Ontario · ² Universidade Nova de Lisboa · ³ University of Houston · ⁴ Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Abstract

We argue that effective management action is impeded by a simplistic understanding of time—one dominated by a clock-time perspective. Using the concept of improvisation, we reconcile two major time dichotomies associated with organizational phenomena: clock time versus event time and linear time versus cyclical time. We propose that improvisation offers a means for management theorists and practictioners to overcome these apparent time dichotomies.

DOI

10.5465/amr.2005.15281441

Volume

30

Issue

1

Pages

129-145

Language

en

Sources

ris:amr.ris openalex crossref

Cite

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