Paper Short Abstract:

This paper explores the challenges of legitimizing anthropological approaches in Organizational Studies, where dominant paradigms from management and economics often overshadow it. I examine the tensions and strategies for enhancing interdisciplinarity while preserving disciplinary integrity.

Paper Abstract:

This paper examines the challenges of legitimizing ethnographic and anthropological approaches within the context of knowledge production in Organizational Studies. Working in a Faculty of Organizational Studies, where dominant paradigms often stem from management and economics, frequently positions anthropology at the margins. Anthropological knowledge and methodologies, with their emphasis on context, meaning, relationships and everyday people's experiences, are often overshadowed or questioned within these epistemological frameworks.

Drawing on my dual role in research and pedagogy, I reflect on the tensions that arise between the marginal position of anthropology and its potential for innovation. I analyze everyday practices and dynamics where these tensions become visible, illustrating how disruptions can both challenge and open new opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration. I look to highlight the potential that anthropology offers to understanding organizational challenges.

This paper also addresses the broader implications of working across disciplines, focusing on the strategies needed to achieve professional recognition and effectively articulate the value of anthropological insights within organizational research and education. The central question guiding this discussion is: How can we enhance the potential of interdisciplinarity while maintaining the integrity of anthropology as a discipline?