Article in Academy of Management Review

Eva Boxenbaum, Linda Rouleau: New knowledge products as bricolage: Metaphors and scripts in organizational theory

We argue that three epistemic scripts of knowledge production - evolution, differentiation and bricolage - underpin the production, i.e., the conception and the presentation, of new organizational theories. Bricolage of concepts, empirical material, and metaphors enables the conception of new theories, whereas evolution and differentiation, carrying higher academic legitimacy, predominate in theory presentation. We develop an integrative model and provide an illustration from organizational institutionalism to delineate how metaphors and scripts influence organizational theory production.

Issue: Volume 36, Number 2 April 2011

Title: Special Topic Forum - Theory Development: NEW KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTS AS BRICOLAGE: METAPHORS AND SCRIPTS IN ORGANIZATIONAL THEORY