String theory and knots: a 50 year journey through organizational studies

Abstract

Purpose

This paper explores the emergence and shift in critical theories and problems-of-practice over the last 50 years.

Design/methodology/approach

Quipu is an Incan record-keeping system used across the Andes. Using multiple strings of different colors, hundreds of different knots were used to count, record historical events. The underlying idea of Quipu was that the intersection of knots and strings is a way of making memory tangible. I use the image of Quipu as a framework to organize my analytic memories and interpretation of research on school organization across spaces, people and generations.

Findings

I explore my own research and that of others who have influenced me, linking the strings of organizational theory to the knots representing changes in the educational environment that motivate research.

Originality/value

The paper is, in part, not only a reflective review of the literature but also a summation of the problems-of-practice that have engaged me and other scholars over a relatively long period of time.

Citation

Seashore Louis, K. (2022), "String theory and knots: a 50 year journey through organizational studies", Journal of Educational Administration, Vol. 60 No. 3, pp. 228-244. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-03-2021-0067