Into the labyrinth : tales of organizational nomadism

Jerzy Kociatkiewicz (1) , Monika Kostera (2, 3)

1 University of Sheffield [Sheffield]
2 UJ - Uniwersytet Jagielloński w Krakowie = Jagiellonian University
3 University of Leeds

Labyrinths and mazes have constituted signi cant spaces for tales of transformation, from prehistoric designs through the myth of the Minotaur and the pilgrimage design in Chartres cathedral to contemporary novels and pictorial representations. Labyrinths and labyrinthine designs can also commonly be found in present-day organizations. is text, based on an ethnographic study as well as on an analysis of academic discourse, explores their signi cance as symbol and as physical structure. Drawing upon the notion of transitional space, it presents labyrinths as an indelible part of human experience, an archetype, and a sensemaking tool for understanding and explaining organizational complexity. e unavoidable presence of labyrinthine structures is presented as a counterpoise to the reductionist tendency towards simpli cation, streamlining and staying on-message, allowing or demanding space for re ection, doubt and uncertainty.

Mots clés: Organizational space; Identity; Symbolism; Archetype; Labyrinth

Domaines: Gestion et management; Sociologie

Jerzy Kociatkiewicz, Monika Kostera. Into the labyrinth : tales of organizational nomadism. Organization Studies, 2015, 36 (1), pp.55-71. ⟨10.1177/0170840614546154⟩. ⟨hal-02423775⟩