The aesthetic dimension of organizing: a review and research agenda
File(s)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Baldessarelli, Giada
Stigliani, Ileana
Elsbach, Kimberly
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Organizational aesthetics comprises a way of understanding organizational life based on immediate sensory reactions (i.e., sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch) to the material components of organizing (e.g., artifacts, physical settings, and material practices). Despite the growing interest in the topic, however, research is fragmented across management areas. To advance scholarly knowledge in this field, we reviewed the empirical work dealing with aesthetics. Our review yields two major insights. First, we identify three perspectives on the role of aesthetics. Scholars have treated aesthetics as (1) a directed stimulus (that elicits product evaluation and work organization), (2) a knowledge tool (that is entwined with creative work and everyday tasks), or (3) an open-ended outcome (that serves as a personal experience). Second, we find that each perspective highlights emotional and cognitive mechanisms through which aesthetics is implicated in organizing. Building on these two insights, our review offers an integrative framework that provides a comprehensive picture of the state of the field, illuminating the work of aesthetics in and around organizations and providing avenues for future studies.
Date Issued
2022-01-26
Date Acceptance
2021-08-23
Citation
The Academy of Management Annals, 2022, 10 (1)
ISSN
1941-6067
Publisher
Academy of Management
Journal / Book Title
The Academy of Management Annals
Volume
10
Issue
1
Copyright Statement
© Academy of Management Annals
Identifier
https://journals.aom.org/doi/full/10.5465/annals.2020.0198
Subjects
Social Sciences
Business
Management
Business & Economics
PRODUCT DESIGN
ORGANIZATIONAL ROUTINES
PHYSICAL-ENVIRONMENT
CONSUMER RESPONSE
THOUSAND WORDS
INNOVATION
EXPERIENCE
KNOWLEDGE
FORM
ARTIFACTS
Business & Management
1503 Business and Management
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2022-01-26