How Can We Create Collaborative Design Knowledge in Politicized Contexts?

Abstract

This commentary notes that the authors of the Special Issue propose that organization design knowledge will be more actionable if it is created in collaboration with the organization’s members. I draw attention to a risk in the co-creation of design knowledge: increasing the politicization of the already politically fraught process of organizational design. The reasons why collaborative design-knowledge creation may increase politicking are described, and ideas for managing it are suggested.