Introduction: Polyphony and Organization Studies: Mikhail Bakhtin and Beyond

Abstract

In this editorial we introduce the work of Mikhail Bakhtin and his concept of polyphony, and discuss ways in which polyphony has been interpreted and applied in organization studies. It is important to appreciate that two streams seem to emerge in this body of work: the use of polyphony as a textual strategy in writing research narratives and as a tool for analysing organizations as discursive spaces where heterogeneous and multiple voices engage in a contest for audibility and power. We conclude this editorial by briefly introducing each of the papers in this themed section.