The role of non-corporeal Actant theory in historical research
Purpose: This paper aims to study the role of non-corporeal Actant theory in historical research through a case study of the trajectory of the New Deal as one of the foremost institutions in the USA since its inception in the early 1930s. Design/methodology/approach: The authors follow the trajectory of the New Deal through a focus on Vice President Henry A. Wallace. Drawing on ANTi-History, the authors view history as a powerful discourse for organizing understandings of the past and non-corporeal Actants as a key influence on making sense of (past) events. Findings: The authors conclude that non-corporeal Actants influence the shaping of management and organization studies that serve paradoxically to obfuscate history and its relationship to the past. Research limitations/implications: The authors drew on a series of published studies of Henry Wallace and archival material in the Roosevelt Library, but the study would benefit from an in-depth analysis of the Wallace archives. Practical implications: The authors reveal the influences of non-corporeal Actants as a method for dealing with the past. The authors do this through the use of ANTi-History as a method of historical analysis. Social implications: The past is an important source of understanding of the present and future; this innovative approach increases the potential to understand. Originality/value: Decisions are often black boxes. Non-Corporeal Actants are a new tool with which to see the underlying inputs of choice.
Year of publication: |
2019
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Authors: | Hartt, Christopher M. ; Mills, Albert J. ; Helms Mills, Jean |
Published in: |
Journal of Management History. - Emerald, ISSN 1751-1348, ZDB-ID 2020279-9. - Vol. 26.2019, 1 (01.07.), p. 60-76
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Publisher: |
Emerald |
Saved in:
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