During the 21st century organizations will undergo a level of radical and global change that has rarely been seen before. This transformation will come as a result of the environmental, social and economic challenges that now confront organisations in all their activities. But are our understandings and theories of change up to the task of meeting these challenges? Will we be able to develop sustaining visions of how organizations might contribute to the long-term viability of our interdependent global communities? Organizational Transformation for Sustainability: An Integral Metatheory offers some innovative answers to the big questions involved in organizational sustainability and the radical changes that organizations will need to undergo as we move into the third millennium. This new approach comes from the emerging field of integral metatheory.

Edwards shows how a "Big Picture" view of organisational transformation can contribute to our understanding of, and search for, organisational sustainability. There are four key themes to the book: i) the need for integrative metatheories for organisational change; ii) the development of a general research method for building metatheory; iii) the description of an integral metatheory for organisational sustainability; and iv) the discussion of the implications of this metatheory for organisational change and social policy regarding sustainability. This book brings a unique and important orienting perspective to these issues.

About the Author

Mark Edwards is a registered psychologist with a Masters degree in developmental psychology and a PhD (awarded distinction) in organisation theory from the University of Western Australia. He has worked with people with disabilities for more than 20 years. He currently teaches business ethics at the Business School, University of Western Australia and metatheoretical studies at the John F. Kennedy University in California. His academic publications have been in the areas of futures studies, leadership, management and organisation theory and integral metatheory.

Reviews

Winner of the Integral Leadership Review "Book of the Year" Award

"Once every generation or so, a field-defining scholarly statement appears. Mark Edwards's metatheory for organizational transformation is such a book for the field of organizational change and transformation." - From the Foreword by William R. Torbert, Boston College

"Not only is this an excellent example of scholarship, but a clearly written, well presented treatment of a very complex topic." - Russ Volckman, Integral Leadership Review

"If you are interested in metatheory, organizational transformation, sustainability, great examples of clear and thorough writing, or just like to gain a view from a profound set of perspectives, then get and read Mark Edwards' Organizational Transformation for Sustainability. An Integral Metatheory." - Jonathan Reams, Integral Review

Book Information
ISBN 9780415888691
Author Mark Edwards
Format Paperback
Page Count 290
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 540g