Ann Langley
Professor of strategic management at HEC Montréal, Canada

Abstract:
Process researchers investigate phenomena and theorize about them in terms of movement, activity and flow rather than in terms of relationships among variables: in other words, process research is critically focused on change and becoming over time. However, there are a variety of ways of thinking about what a process perspective means, each involving different assumptions and each requiring different research methodologies. In this seminar, we will discuss four different understandings of process (process as evolution; process as narrative; process as activity; and process as withness) and consider their implications for research and practice.

Ann Langley is professor of strategic management at HEC Montréal, Canada and holder of the Chair in strategic management in pluralistic settings. Her research focuses on strategic change, inter-professional collaboration and the practice of strategy in complex organizations. She is particularly interested in process-oriented research and methodology and has published a number of papers on that topic. In 2013, she was co-guest editor with Clive Smallman, Haridimos Tsoukas and Andrew Van de Ven of a Special Research Forum of Academy of Management Journal on Process Studies of Change in Organizations and Management. She is also coeditor of the journal Strategic Organization, and coeditor with Haridimos Tsoukas of a book series Perspectives on Process Organization Studies published with Oxford University Press. She is adjunct professor at Université de Montréal and Visiting Professor at University of Gothenburg.

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Venue
Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering
Building B26/B – Meeting Room 1.30 – First floor
Via Lambruschini 4/B, Milano