Negotiating the Micro-Macro Divide

Abstract

Scholars of organization tend to apportion organizational phenomena into two distinct levels: micro and macro. In organization studies, efforts to overcome the problems resulting from the micro-macro split focus on locating appropriate microfoundations or engaging in multilevel theorizing, but these approaches ultimately reinforce rather than transcend the divide. In response, I argue that communicative constitution of organization (CCO) theory provides thought leadership that can both reconceptualize the micro-macro relationship and generate novel theoretical directions, with specific attention to three widely employed theories of organization: the knowledge-based theory of the firm, stakeholder theory, and Carnegie School decisional theory. Conceptions of organizing and organization offered by CCO thus hold the potential to foster strengthened relationships between organizational communication and organization theory.