Traditional and Professional Frames of Meaning in Management

Abstract

This paper explores two distinct frames of meaning used by managers in an industrial enterprise. One is taken to be derived from the traditions of the industry and is consequently particular to it. The other is taken to be derived from conceptions of the professional management of organizations and is universalistic. In looking for explanation, the background to each frame is elucidated, in terms of Giddens' `structuration', and attempts are made to relate them to the divorce of ownership and control and the associated development of capitalism. A change of control in the enterprise, resulting from the latter, is used to highlight the frames of meaning and suggestions are made as to the possible connections between the emergence of finance capital as the power in capitalism and that of a financially-dominated form of management in the organization.