The Dissemination of Management Ideas A qualitative study on the complexity and consequences of enabling the travel of an idea

Abstract

This paper aims to broaden the understanding of the complexity in the dissemination of management ideas. This is done through studying the idea of self leadership within a specific setting; an educational initiative targeting university students. The purpose is firstly to understand how educational initiatives can be used in the dissemination of management ideas and how these ideas are being understood, translated and spread by different actors involved. Secondly, to investigate how the idea is received and perceived by the course participants. The study is qualitative in its nature and uses a case study to investigate how the idea of self leadership was taken from one context and transmitted and translated by the idea carriers, as well as by the receivers, in order to fit into the receivers’ context. Data has been collected by conducting 40 hours of observations, as well as 18 interviews with facilitators and course participants. By analysing the findings with Institutional Theory, Actor Network Theory as well as Scandinavian Institutional Theory different insights is giving on how to understand the dissemination of management ideas on a macro and micro level. It also gives insight in a number of ways to structure an educational initiative by making it more attractive and available in order to create a positive attitude towards the idea among the idea receivers and hence eases the process of dissemination. This can contribute to knowledge in how idea carriers may utilize their way of spreading an idea in their context in order to succeed. Further, the study also identified a conflict where the facilitators used different tactics to enable the translation, but at the same time lost control over the idea. The paper may inspire to a continued debate on the complexity and consequences within idea disseminations.