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Contributions of the activity theory to the study of organizations

This article aims to devise theoretical methodological principles for the organization study. The concept of social practice is adopted as less meaningful unit for analysis of the organization, comprising it from the Theory of Socio-Historical and Cultural Activity, relying on the ideas of Vygotsky, Leontiev, Engeströmand Clot. It is argued in this paper the concept of organization from its dialectical and historical events, in which the individual is considered an instance of totality, from a theoretical course in socio - historical categories of: activity systems situated, sensed and meant, learning and human development. The future shows a way of doing science that surpasses the positivist conception of method to result in a conception of method and result. From these theoretical categories and the report of three researches, we can deduce a set of theoretical methodological principles of socio- historical nature that contribute to the study of the organization, as it is broken with the individual dichotomy versus group versus organization, with the abstract and historical conception of the organizational phenomenon, and with the behaviorist conception of prevailing man in the organizational studies. At last, we can deduce categories that learn subjective and intersubjective dimensions of an organization reality in constant movement.

Sociocultural and Historical Methodology; Organizational Research; Social Practice; Activity Theory; Meaningful Activity


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