Twenty-first International Conference on Knowledge, Culture, and Change in Organizations

Abstract

This paper seeks to contribute to theory-building related to the intangibles of organizational change. The role of social possibility is under examined in the research literature on organizations. Social possibility suggests a sense of what is attainable within the present circumstances and structures. Through a literature review/meta-analysis and select organizational case examples, I examine three core questions: 1) How do we better operationalize and understand possibility, and what is the role of possibility in innovation and organizational change? 2) How do agents broaden the scope of possible directions and desired future outcomes through specific projects and interventions, or through culture/everyday practices? 3) What strategies, structures, interventions, and practices contribute to or constrain the ability of organizations to discover, create, select, and realize new possibilities for change and innovation?