Political Parties and Organization Studies: The party as a critical case of organizing
Abstract
Organization scholars have extensively studied both the politics of organization and the organization of politics. Contributing to the latter, we argue for further and deeper consideration of political parties, since: (1) parties illuminate organizational dynamics of in- and exclusion; (2) internal struggles related to the constitution of identities, practices and procedures are accentuated in parties; (3) the study of parties allow for the isolation of processes of normative and affective commitment; (4) parties prioritize and intensify normative control mechanisms; (5) party organizing currently represents an example of profound institutional change, as new (digital) formations challenge old bureaucratic models. Consequently, we argue that political parties should be seen as ‘critical cases’ of organizing, meaning that otherwise commonplace phenomena are intensified and exposed in parties. This allows researchers to use parties as magnifying glasses for zooming-in on organizational dynamics that may be suppressed or concealed by the seemingly non-political façade of many contemporary organizations. In conclusion, we argue that organization scholars are in a privileged position to investigate how political parties function today and how their democratic potential can be improved in the future. To this end, we call on Organization and Management Studies to engage actively with alternative parties in an attempt to explore and promote progressive change within the formal political system.
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Biographies
Emil Husted is an associate professor at the Department of Organization at Copenhagen Business School. His research centers on the internal orchestration of political parties and social movement, often with a focus on the mediating role of digital technology. Emil’s research has been published in international journals such as Organization, Culture and Organization, and The Information Society. He is also co-author of Digital Organizing: Revisiting Themes in Organization Studies (with Ursula Plesner). Furthermore, Emil is a member of the editorial collective at the independent journal ephemera.
Mona Moufahim is a Senior Lecturer at the Stirling Management School at the University of Stirling. Her research focuses on identity, extreme right politics, and (political) marketing and consumption. Her research has been published in both management and marketing journals, such as Organization Studies, Journal of Business Ethics, Tourism Management, Marketing Theory and the Journal of Marketing Management. She has edited the forthcoming book titled Political Branding in Times of Political Instability and Uncertainty (Palgrave McMillan)
Martin Fredriksson is associate professor at the Department of Culture and Society (IKOS), Linköping University. He works in the intersection between law and cultural studies, studying areas spanning from the cultural history of copyright and the social implications of media piracy to questions of intellectual property rights and the protection of traditional knowledge. He has written extensively about the Pirate Party, the digital rights movement, and the political mobilisation against restrictive intellectual property rights regimes.
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Article first published online: April 6, 2021
Issue published: August 2022
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