This article takes a sceptical view of the functionalist understanding of the nature and significance of ‘knowledge’ in so-called knowledge- intensive companies. The article emphasizes the slipperiness of the concept of knowledge, the ambiguity of knowledge, its role in what is constructed as knowledge work and the evaluation of work outcomes. Given this ambiguity, the management of rhetoric, imag

This paper treats the significance of organization-based social identity for loyalty versus exit reactions with special reference to knowledge-intensive companies. The centrality of network relations and close contact with clients in combination with the sometimes drastic consequences of knowledge workers defecting in many knowledge-intensive companies makes social identification and loyalty cruci

Background We recently reported a relationship between plasma levels of cystatin C and incidence of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) among the first 2,369 subjects who participated in the reexamination study of the population-based Malmö and Diet Cancer Cardiovascular cohort (MDC-CC-re-exam). In this study we aimed to replicate these results and also investigate if cystatin C was causally associated

The EC-Earth earth system model has been recently developed to include the dynamics of vegetation. In its original formulation, vegetation variability is simply operated by the Leaf Area Index (LAI), which affects climate basically by changing the vegetation physiological resistance to evapotranspiration. This coupling has been found to have only a weak effect on the surface climate modeled by EC-

This paper treats a number of issues within the area of gender and organization. Alternative approaches are discussed — from comparing groups of women and men in organizations to using gender as a metaphor for illuminating the character of organizations. The limitations of generalizations on the relationship between gender and organizations are indicated. Instead of advocating a unitary feminine v

In this paper it is suggested that leadership, at least in some types of organiza tions, can be conceptualized as social integrative action. Such action is seen as a synthesis of institutional and human relations-oriented leadership. A case study of a computer consultancy company, a professional service adhocracy, supports this argument. This paper also argues for viewing leadership as an expressi

For a long time it has been recognized that traditional bureaucratic modes of control are not very efficient in many highly uncertain, rapidly changing or otherwise troublesome situations.Inspired by transaction cost thinking different authors have suggested that clan form control or certain types of corporate cultures should do better in these circumstances. Among these, Ouchi (1980) and Wilkins

This article discusses the concepts of knowledge-intensive workers and firms. the functional view is questioned and a perspective on knowledge as institutionalized myth and rationality-surrogate is proposed. the ambiguity of knowledge work is emphasized and it is argued that a crucial dimension of a knowledge-intensive organization concerns the struggle with this ambiguity, which leads to efforts

This paper treats discourses in organizations in relationship to the management of identities and impressions. It is based on an ethnographic study of an advert ising agency and explores how advertising professionals describe themselves, their work and organizations, the profession and their clients. Various functions of such descriptions are proposed, from identity work to marketing. The relation

This paper draws upon Critical Theory, especially the Frankfurt School, and advocates a critically oriented marketing theory which breaks away from the technicist preoccupations dominating much of traditional marketing science. The conventional assumption of marketing as being in the business of need satisfaction is rejected, and a case is made for research which draws attention to the way marketi

This paper discusses the popularity of postmodernism in social and organizational studies. It is argued that the word conflates quite different social phenomena and lines of development, and theoretical and philosophical positions. Framing issues in terms of modernism/postmodernism easily leads to insensitive conceptualizations of the varied positions within what is dumped together as 'modernism'.

This article reviews and develops the recent critique of empiricist quantitative and qualitative methods in social science in general, and leadership studies, in particular. It argues for an interpretive-reflective approach that fully acknowledges the theory-laden, interpretative nature of empirical studies and the ambiguity of ‘data’. In addition the political and historical character of social s

The paper explores gender relations and gender identity, based upon an ethnography of a Swedish advertising agency. The organization is of special interest as it has a strong gender division of labor, where men hold all senior posts, at the same time as creative advertising work seems to have much more similarity with what gender studies describe as "femininity" rather than with forms of "masculin

Traditionally, leadership has been equated with masculinity. Managerial jobs, at least in business and on senior levels, have been defined as a matter of instrumentality, autonomy, result-orientation, etc. something which is not particularly much in line with what is broadly assumed to be typical for females. Today, however, there seems to be a broad interest in leadership being more participatory