556: The Material and Symbolic Aspects of Management Concepts (14405)

New management concepts serve as new guidelines for managers tackling challenges in technology, society, and the economy. Their longstanding popularity is reflected in the historical ebb and flow of various concepts, ranging from quality and business models, to agility and purpose, over the past century (Abrahamson, 1997; Barley & Kunda, 1992; Bodrožic & Adler, 2018). However, despite its significance, scholarly attention to management concepts in general remains notably limited. The complexity around understanding management concepts lies in how actors employ these concepts and the way these concepts diffuse, though little acknowledged. Specifically, management concepts can be conceived by what practices and techniques are developed and adopted; but the conception can be shifted as actors interpret and communicate them differently, expanding the scope of the conception or even leading to the emergence of new ideas (e.g., Höllerer, Jancsary, Barberio, & Meyer, 2020; Zbaracki, 1998). This symposium aims to bring cutting-edge ideas about management concepts to wider audiences, renewing attention to management concepts and their roles in the changing environments of modern organizations. We particularly discuss both material and symbolic facets of their development, change, and influence. As a new research program, this symposium explores theoretical perspectives and showcases methodological ideas to connect management concepts to the current scholarship in management.