James March: a postmodern perspective on organization without management theory

Abstract

Purpose In this paper, the authors look back at James March’s main contributions to the evolution of organizations and their decision-making. No other author in management science has been quoted as much. Yet, his view on these issues is often far removed from the dominant academic representations. This paper aims to evaluate the trace left by March for the future. His teachings remain of the utmost importance for both practitioners and academics in charge of modeling the real functioning of the organizations. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, the authors look back at James March’s main contributions to the evolution of organizations and their decision-making. Findings On the basis of an in-depth analysis of his study, the authors discuss the main concepts to which he has dedicated his life as a researcher. Whether it is for innovation and the process of exploration associated with it or for the ambiguity that persists in learning cycles, March always shows us the ambivalence of the concepts. The strength of March’s study is to encourage us to remain cautious in the diagnoses for the development of the companies by not venerating too strongly the notions seen exclusively as virtuous, such as innovation or by not too quickly condemning situations perceived as harmful, such as ambiguity. It is, therefore, subjective and unpredictable, making the idea of a unified theory of management inoperative (Joullié, 2018). March’s way of thinking is deeply postmodern in the sense of Foucault (1961), who saw the world as a representation. Research limitations/implications For this kind of paper based on a James March study’s survey, the main limitation is the variety of research methodology mobilized. Empirical confirmation sometimes is missing or is too short. The study remains essentially speculative as to its influence on future research. Some concepts, such as the concept of effectuation, which is a direct extension of March’s study, deserve to be tested empirically and theoretically in greater depth to assess their robustness. Practical implications All managerial implications are concerned with organizational change. His teachings remain of the utmost importance for both practitioners and academics in charge of modeling the real functioning of the organizations. Social implications Providing a guideline concerning research in the management of organizations. A better understanding of the real functioning of how decisions happen in companies, how they change in the real world. Originality/value The authors show that, contrary to the great paradigms of management sciences (Burrell and Morgan, 1979) developed since Taylor’s founding study, which remains performative in essence, March’s study initiates a viscerally postmodern vision of the organization. The authors believe that his contributions are essential because they are not based on a normative attempt to propose a universal theory but provide a compass that is essential to understanding how the organization study.