Understanding organisations for a post-growth era: contributions from an epistemic analysis

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to uncover the ways in which companies either reproduce or challenge the growth-based roots of the social imaginary, in order to inform the degrowth debate at the firm level.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper offers an epistemic analysis of the ways companies organise, revealing underlying conceptions of organisations' identities and their corresponding ways of organising.

Findings

The epistemic analysis derives four conceptual findings allowing the authors to suggest ways of organising in a socio-environmental future not driven by economic growth. The paper suggests new research avenues to study alternative worldviews in organisations.

Originality/value

This paper creatively contributes to the discussion about alternatives to the current unsustainable economy with a special focus on the micro level, where businesses act as a vital driving force for economic growth.

Citation

Ramos-Mejía, M., Dueñas-Ocampo, S. and Gomati de la Vega, I. (2021), "Understanding organisations for a post-growth era: contributions from an epistemic analysis", International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, Vol. 41 No. 11/12, pp. 1227-1243. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSSP-06-2020-0251