The Tyranny of the Epochal: Change, Epochalism and Organizational Reform

The paper focuses upon a particular discourse of organizational ‘change’ as it has appeared in a specific context—the contemporary field of public administration—and seeks to explore its role as a rhetorical device in reshaping the identity of public service. It does so first by seeking to indicate...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Organization (London, England) Vol. 10; no. 4; pp. 663 - 684
Main Author: du Gay, Paul
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: London SAGE Publications 01.11.2003
Sage Publications Ltd
Subjects:
Bureaucracy
Casuistry
Culture
Discourse
Economic change
Economic growth
Economic theory
Enterprises
Government
Management
Modernization
Organization theory
Organizational Change
Public Administration
Public Services
Reform
Reforms
Signs
Society
Studies
epochalism
government
casuistry
enterprise
bureaucracy
change
ISSN:1350-5084, 1461-7323
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:The paper focuses upon a particular discourse of organizational ‘change’ as it has appeared in a specific context—the contemporary field of public administration—and seeks to explore its role as a rhetorical device in reshaping the identity of public service. It does so first by seeking to indicate the epochalist bent of much theorizing about contemporary economic and organizational change—in both its academic and its more managerial manifestations. Second, it seeks to show how a particular discourse of organizational change mobilizes support for attempts to ‘re-invent’ or ‘modernize’ the public administration as an institution of government. Finally, it seeks to offer a few words in support of the seemingly unfashionable art of ‘piecemeal reform’ or ‘ organizational casuistry’.
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ISSN:1350-5084
1461-7323
DOI:10.1177/13505084030104003