Abstract
The concept of purpose gained prominence in organization theory in recent years but there are discrepant views of its meaning, which we review as evolving and different perspectives: economic theories of the firm; stakeholder approaches; integrative social contracts; and social mission. We elaborate these perspectives in terms of the ebb and flow of ideas and eras. Against these instrumental views, we revisit the work of Robert Cooper, namely the ever-open purpose of expressive organizations, and contrast this with fixist views of purpose in instrumental organizations. We engage with the logic of open purpose and sketch a way of rethinking purpose as a general orientation that constantly evolves and changes over time in interaction with its ecosystem.
Highlights
Rather than being instrumental entities with specific purposes and practical tools in which a supraordinate goal rules a sub-hierarchy of other subsidiary goals, in expressive systems purpose becomes a transformative idea, a process aimed at revealing latent possibilities
Organizations as expressive systems are oriented towards cultivating possibilities rather than fulfilling specific purposes defined ex ante
We ask: How is purpose to be conceived if organizations are represented as expressive rather than instrumental systems? We explore the changing meaning of purpose and provide an alternative lens for its discussion
Summary
Rather than being instrumental entities with specific purposes and practical tools in which a supraordinate goal rules a sub-hierarchy of other subsidiary goals, in expressive systems purpose becomes a transformative idea, a process aimed at revealing latent possibilities These views, elaborated below, take organizations to be material manifestations in a complex reality. The recent expressions that we discuss are shareholder, stakeholder, integrative social contracts theory and social mission approaches We contrast these approaches with an alternative ‘ever-open’ view of process in a new representation of what used to be called ‘industry’ (Jacobides, Cennamo, & Gawer, 2018), approached through the metaphorical notion of ecosystems, rather than limiting consideration to an organization’s competitive environment. Organizations are represented as material manifestation points in an open field, concepts that we elucidate below, which suggest that fixed representations of purpose are limiting
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