Foregrounding Context in Action

Abstract

The purpose of this book is to provide an exploration of the role of context and action in the broader field of organization and management theory, illustrated by examples from health care research. In their own right, both context and action are essential theoretical concepts rooted in philosophical reflections. Moreover, they pose potential methodological challenges to research in the fields of organization and management. The context–action relationship deals with issues relating to questions such as what is organizational change and how can we study it empirically? How are macro- and microlevel events or actions connected, and how do they influence and co-constitute each other through their relationships across analytical levels? The book distinguishes between context as a theoretical construct, on the one hand, and as methodological approach (i.e., how we operationalize and use the concept in the research process) on the other.