Theoretical perspectives on organizations and organizing in a post-growth era

Abstract

‘Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced’. – James Baldwin (1962) The purpose of this symposium is to broaden and intensify the discussion of ways humanity might disengage from the putative imperative of unbridled economic growth. Central to this discussion is the critical re-examination of economic and social relations in organizations and relations between organizations and the natural environment. Hence, for this panel symposium, we invited scholars that participated in a special issue for Organization on organizations and organizing in a post-growth era to reflect on how economic growth is conceptualized (implicitly or explicitly) in existing theoretical frameworks and in the paradigmatic underpinnings (often functionalist) of these frameworks. Relatedly, we think it is essential to reimagine organizations and their impacts under macro-economic conditions characterized by decoupling of resources, the steady-state economy, or even conscious degrowth—which requires a radical paradigm shift and other fundamental changes that can elevate human happiness, well-being, quality of life and other non-economic criteria from the periphery to the center of organizational analysis. We approach this challenge first by discussing the hegemonic properties of growth ideology and second by sketching an alternative political economy as a context for reimagining social and economic relations within planetary capacities in a post-growth era. Drawing on degrowth literature in ecological economics, sociology and political ecology, we identify key principles relevant to processes of organizing for a more just and environmentally sustainable future: frugal abundance, conviviality, care, and open relocalization. We conclude by introducing some thoughts about theorizing policy and regulatory changes needed to generate transformational change and a future research agenda beyond growth.