Available via license: CC BY 4.0
Content may be subject to copyright.
1016
1016-1030
Cad. EBAPE.BR, v. 19, nº 4, Rio de Janeiro, Oct./Dec. 2021. ISSN 1679-3951
Organizational improvisation: challenges and
perspectives for management education
Abstract
Keywords:
Improvisação organizacional: desaos e perspectivas para o ensino-aprendizagem em administração
Resumo
Palavras-chave:
Improvisación organizacional: desafíos y perspectivas para la enseñanza-aprendizaje en Administración
Resumen
Palabras clave:
1017-1030
Cad. EBAPE.BR, v. 19, nº 4, Rio de Janeiro, Oct./Dec. 2021.
Organizational improvisation: challenges and perspectives for
management education
Fernanda Paquelet Moreira Barbosa
Eduardo Davel
INTRODUCTION
Organizaonal improvisaon (OI) is not a new phenomenon and has been recognized in organizaonal theory (Lewin, 1998)
for being related to advances in studies on leadership, collecvity and exible networks (Hatch, 2002). These are the basis of
the business of the future, which requires changes in the prole of the manager, who behaves as a morally neutral technician,
engaged in a world of solving raonal problems and ignoring emoons. The diculty in recognizing emoons as part of
organizaonal pracce hides the diculty in realizing that organizng is made by human beings with limitaons, impulses,
creavity and emoons (M. P. Cunha, 2002). Emoon is inseparable from individual and collecve OI, which considers error to be
an important part in the development of an idea, which requires negoaons, connuous dialogues and performance (Flach &
Antonello, 2011; Weick, 2002). Research on OI does not yet reect the impact of its existence on day-to-day organizaonal
life. Most of the published arcles are theorecal, and the few empirical ones work with qualitave methodologies, with an
emphasis on observaon (Barre, 1998; Flach & Antonello, 2011; Miner, Basso & Moorman, 2001). The arcles reect the
posive aspects related to learning in the pracce of OI, but they do not explain about how to teach it. No reference was
found to OI educaon. The few reviews of academic producon integrate and systemaze content that is sll dispersed and
fragmented, promong a widespread understanding of the power of OI (M. P. Cunha, 2014).
The academic community expresses a growing concern with issues related to management educaon that lack dialogue,
interdisciplinarity and integraon (Gagliardi & Czarniawska, 2006). The problems pointed out range from the gap in teacher
training to outdated methodologies, coupled with the lack of clarity such as to the meaning of competences and skills
(Nunes, 2010). The debate about power (Clegg & Ross-Smith, 2003) and the lile space that managers have to reect on their
experiences (Mintzberg & Gosling, 2003) show the contradicons between theory and pracce in management educaon,
which faces many challenges, such as the lack of capacity to bring the quality of learning together with the expansion of
teaching (Oliveira, Loure & Castro, 2015) and their assessment systems (Bolzan & Antunes, 2015). Despite the substanal
body of research on improvisaon as a fundamental phenomenon in organizaons, empirical studies on the applicaon of
improvisaon training in the workplace are scarce (Raen & Hodge, 2016). In all academic producon, only few arcles related
to OI learning were idened (Barre, 1998; Falkheimer & Sandberg, 2018; Flach & Antonello, 2011; Miner et al., 2001).
More serious than that, there is no reference to educaon of this much-needed skill in the training of managers.
Our arcle seeks to discuss and systemaze the advances, perspecves and challenges in academic producon on OI and
its integraon in management educaon for the training of contemporary managers. The research methodology consists
of a review of academic producon not only in the eld of management, but also in the eld of social sciences, humanies
and art. An extensive survey of the main naonal and internaonal bases was conducted (Spell, SciELO, Sage Publicaons,
Routledge, Web of Science, Capes Journals, Teses Capes, Library of Congress, Emerald, Academy of Management), focusing on
the producon of OI and its relaons with educaonal issues. The search terms were “OI”, “improvisaon”, “management”,
“management”, “educaon”, “learning” and “teaching”.
In parallel, aer idenfying the academic producon, we analyzed the references cited to idenfy new references, such
as arcles, books, book chapters, theses, dissertaons, etc. Such references were researched, analyzed and integrated
into the repertoire of our study. Aer a rst selecon stage, the consistent and coherent producons that approached
with OI and their relaonship with learning and teaching issues were veried. We mapped their bibliographic references
in search of other relevant producons. That is, the review process took place within a snowball logic, which ended when
no reference on the topic emerged as new and relevant. Academic producons on OI were selected and analyzed, which
included a few producons on learning issues. The analysis of academic producon sought to idenfy and categorize the
main relevances, themes and lack of current research in OI. A second stage of analysis was conducted based on the lack
of idened research, generang a categorizaon focused on (a) educaonal approaches in management, which are in
line with the OI; (b) barriers to integrate OI in management educaon; and (c) perspecves for integrang OI into the
management educaon.
This arcle is divided into three parts, in addion to this introducon. In the rst, the analysis of academic producon in OI is
presented based on a set of relevances and themes. Moreover, in this secon, a lack of research is idened and discussed as
a challenge for future research on OI educaon. In the second, we analyze, present and discuss the educaonal approaches
1018-1030
Cad. EBAPE.BR, v. 19, nº 4, Rio de Janeiro, Oct./Dec. 2021.
Organizational improvisation: challenges and perspectives for
management education
Fernanda Paquelet Moreira Barbosa
Eduardo Davel
related to OI teaching of OI and the barriers and perspecves for integrang OI in the OI educaon. In the last part, we
discussed the results of the research in terms of theorecal-conceptual, methodological and praccal implicaons for future
research. These results are discussed to generate a conceptual contribuon to guide research and pracce on OI, emphasizing
the importance of renewing and updang teaching and learning within the scope of management.
ORGANIZATIONAL IMPROVISATION: RELEVANCES, ADVANCES AND NEEDS
Academic producons on OI were analyzed and generated two major axes of knowledge: the relevance of OI to management
and the main themes that guide research. In addion, we will also present the main denions and methodologies adopted
by the research.
The denion of OI falls on complex processes that range from quick responses without prior preparaon to organizaonal
choreographies carefully designed with a focus on organizaonal changes in highly compeve environments (M. P. Cunha,
2005). Improvisaon is the deliberate fusion of design and execuon in a new producon that involves the cognive, raonal
and intuive interpretaon of prescribed rules and standards of conduct at various levels (Giusniano, M. P. Cunha & Clegg,
2016). It is directly linked to the three areas of organizaonal acvity: internal (structure), external (environmental turbulence),
and the arculaon between internal and external areas (M. P. Cunha, Kamoche & R. C. Cunha, 2003). Improvisaon involves
the re-elaboraon of unforeseen ideas that arise and are conceived in the course of a situaon of adaptaon and deviaon.
An open organizaonal project is needed, which considers the creave capacity of managers and their power of improvisaon,
since accepng the human condion of constant transformaon is an inherent component of the work (J. V. Cunha &
M. P. Cunha, 2008).
OI is dened as the concepon of acon its development based on the cognive, aecve, social and material resources available
(Kamoche, (J. V. Cunha & M. P. Cunha, 2003). It happens when the planning and execuon of an acon converge (Moorman
& Miner, 1998); it has short periods of stability and a high level of uncertainty, dynamism, systemic complexity, heterogeneity
and speed of innovaon (J. V. Cunha & M. P. Cunha, 2000). OI also happens in opposion to a systemac roune that no longer
works (Weick, 2002), requiring immediate responses (Flach, 2010; Flach & Antonello, 2011) and allowing overcoming (Moorman
& Miner, 1998) within an imperfecon aesthecs (Weick, 2002). OI as a theme in the area of organizaons and management
emerged associated with the jazz metaphor (Hatch, 1998). However, due to the broadening of the theorecal and empirical work
base, it has been acquiring prominence in academic producon and a progressive instrumental value (M. P. Cunha, R. C. Cunha &
Kamoche, 2014). The pracce of improvisaon works as a training for imaginaon, creavity, collecvity, leadership and
learning (Koppe, 2013).
There are several theorecal essays on OI, but few address the theme of organizaonal learning through improvisaon by
metaphors (Barre, 1998; M. P. Cunha, 2002; Flach & Antonello, 2011). The three empirical studies that address the theme
of learning related to OI used a qualitave approach. The rst is based on mul-cases, with semi-structured interviews, direct
observaon and documentary analysis (Flach, 2010). The second is inducve and based on observaon (Miner et al., 2001).
The third consists of 25 qualitave interviews with a strategic selecon of successful communicaon professionals, idened
as typical strategic improvisers (Falkheimer & Sandberg, 2018).
Relevance of Organizational Improvisation in the Management Area
In our research on OI, we can idenfy eight reasons that explain why improvisaon is highly relevant to the area and pracce
of management. The rst relevance is that OI allows a posive direcon in the management of changes in turbulent contexts.
Change management is an arculaon between the organizaonal structure and the turbulence of the external environment
(M. P. Cunha, 2002). OI is seen as a useful skill for this management in the context of dynamic or turbulent businesses
(Leybourne & Sadler-Smith, 2006). OI happens in day-to-day pracce in the management of problems, generang an internal
pressure that needs to be managed. When an OI happens, it involves everyone and remains alive in the organizaonal
1019-1030
Cad. EBAPE.BR, v. 19, nº 4, Rio de Janeiro, Oct./Dec. 2021.
Organizational improvisation: challenges and perspectives for
management education
Fernanda Paquelet Moreira Barbosa
Eduardo Davel
memory because it is associated with a decrease in the level of turbulence (Moorman & Miner, 1998). Accepng turbulence
is accepng improvisaon; it is rejecng habitual behavior with a predictable result in favor of experimentaon and progress
(Barre, 2012). In environments marked by constant uncertainty, which involve dynamism, hoslity, discoveries, compeveness
and changes, companies are obliged to recognize OI as a useful skill for change management (M. P. Cunha, 2002), which helps
to understand and queson the organizaon as a connuous ow of people that communicate and organize each other
(Weick, 1989), providing insights into improvements for change management (Crossan, 1998).
The second relevance is that it allows formulang and implemenng strategies in changing scenarios. It is a characterisc of
improvisaon that the constant elaboraon of strategies to idenfy paths that support the resoluon of conicts (Bernstein &
Barre, 2011), considering the limits (Moorman & Miner, 1998). At OI, informaon is quickly shared, serving as a basic strategy
to coordinate complex ideas that happen simultaneously (Basen & Hostager, 1988), bringing people closer to their jobs and
expanding their ability to arculate in the search for soluons (J. V. Cunha & M. P. Cunha, 2008). The pracce of OI is a strategy
for the development of skills (Crossan, 1998) and raises important themes to create future organizaonal policies (Nicholls,
2012) based on pracces (Crossan, 1996).
The third relevance is to allow rethinking the organizaonal structure. OI expands the concept of organizaonal structure
(Crossan, 2005; Hatch, 1999, 2002) and develops the noon of minimal structure, which combines organizaonal, cultural
and technological aspects with informaon and control systems. Management within the minimum structure can focus on the
important aspects of the work, allowing the members of the organizaon to do what was not foreseen, instead of only what is
explicitly allowed (M. P. Cunha, 2002) and deliberate. The balance between structure and improvisaon is the appropriate form of
management in very compeve environments (Kamoche & M. P. Cunha, 2001). It is necessary to beer understand the acons
of administrators, in contexts in which more bureaucrac structures and formal processes “compete” with the dynamics of
events and with the uency of reconstrucve processes in organizaons (Cavalcan, 2004).
The fourth relevance is to enable the administrator to make decisions under me pressure. Even though there is no total
control over planning, decisions need to be made (M. P. Cunha, 2014), and they happen in a planned or improvised way.
Improvisaon reveals that it is not always possible to have the me to consider things before making important decisions
(Hatch, 1998). Improvising requires a high degree of concentraon, which mobilizes the body and mind at the moment of
decision making. Making decisions expands the repertoire of soluons and the ability to learn according to circumstances,
developing learning about the environment and about oneself (Weick, 2002).
The h relevance is to promote creavity in the work environment, which is a human characterisc that is developed and
pracced throughout life. However, it tends to be repressed in the organizaonal environment. The idea that creavity
arises only from talent and individual expressions must be transformed, because it can be learned and pracced (Hallam &
Ingold, 2007). The search for objecve soluons in a short me is what provides the body with the impetus to generate
ideas. This impulse is creavity (Fisher & Amabile, 2009; Hallam & Ingold, 2007; Weick, 2002), which works as a smulus
for organizaonal transformaon (Barber, 2007). OI provides a creave pracce in the search for soluons, causing some
disorder that is subsequently reorganized (M. P. Cunha & J. V. Cunha, 2000). If we look at the characteriscs associated
with the organizaon of the 21st century, we will see that creavity is one of these pillars (Hatch, 1998; Leybourne & Sadler-
Smith, 2006; Montuori, 2003).
The sixth relevance is related to the impulses it promotes towards innovaon. Creave pracce is the path to innovaon, and the
organizaonal environment is ideal for creave pracce due to the constant search for soluons. The impulses needed to innovate
are: short periods of stability, high level of uncertainty, dynamism, systemic complexity and heterogeneity (M. P. Cunha &
J. V. Cunha, 2000; Chelariu, Johnston & Young, 2002). When improvising, the manager experiences these same impulses in
pracce. Thus, OI is driven to seek soluons and some of them innovave. Successful companies dierenate themselves from
less eecve organizaons in their ability to improvise and exploit opportunies, innovang (Barre, 2000; Basen &
Hostager, 1988; Kamoche & M. P. Cunha, 2001; Kirchbaum, Sakamoto & Vasconcelos, 2014; Koppe, 2013) and renewing
themselves (Crossan, 1996, 1998; Kamoche et al., 2003).
The seventh relevance is related to learning to undertake. The ability to deal with an uncertain world requires a degree of
improvisaonal skill from all entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs start with an idea or direcon; however, many obstacles – limited
1020-1030
Cad. EBAPE.BR, v. 19, nº 4, Rio de Janeiro, Oct./Dec. 2021.
Organizational improvisation: challenges and perspectives for
management education
Fernanda Paquelet Moreira Barbosa
Eduardo Davel
resources, unexpected market condions or conicts with team members – can prevent them from execung their inial
plans. That is, they need to nd a way to adapt to the circumstances, think about their desires and create new plans to
concreze their vision. Entrepreneurs with OI skills show beer performance (H. Neck, C. Neck & Murray, 2018). Associaons
with personality, movaon, cognion and social models and a posive relaonship with the performance of new ventures
(Hmieleski & Corbe, 2006, 2008) emerge from the relaonship among improvisaon, intuion and entrepreneurial intenons
(Leybourne & Sadler-Smith, 2006).
The eighth relevance is in its ability to regenerate the pracce of leadership. Improvisaon contributed to create an experimental
model of leadership in an OI context (M. P. Cunha et al., 2003), in which events are the generators of acon (M. P. Cunha, 2014).
Improvising is a leadership exercise that points to new paths (Flach, 2012), working with a new awareness and a new collecve
leadership capacity (Scharmer, 2010). Mock improvisaon pracces for managers have been able to expand learning about
leadership by creavity and teamwork (Crossan, 1998; Koppe, 2013).
Research Topics on Organizational Improvisation
In OI research, some themes are expressed more frequently, such as organizaonal structure, creavity, innovaon, leadership
and organizaonal learning. Others appear less predominantly, such as me, organizaonal change, technology, markeng,
entrepreneurship, project management, conict and resistance. In our study, the themes are combined or addressed separately.
Organizational structure
When OI appears, it seems to be immersed in an absence of structure. However, it is actually immersed in a creave process
shaped by structural elements (M. P. Cunha, 2002). It is the moment when the consequences of the acons unfold and are
analyzed and understood simultaneously by the actors involved, such as managers, members of the organizaon, shareholders,
customers or any other interested party. This can change the structure of functioning by experience (Barrett, 1998).
OI makes it possible to rethink the organizaonal structure based on emoonal, temporal and relaonal dimensions (Hatch,
1999), showing a set of technical and social elements that facilitate innovave acon, instead of constraining it (Kamoche &
M. P. Cunha, 2001). The minimum structures do not presuppose a negoaon, since they complement each other without the
need for constant arculaon (Barre, 1998). Improvisaon oers a unique combinaon of minimal structure and freedom
that can reveal new understandings about the essence of the organizaonal structure (Hatch, 1999; Kamoche & M. P. Cunha,
2001). Like a jazz musician, the manager needs to nd new answers in his area, dialoguing with the structure and, oen,
without the benet of certainty regarding the paths and the quality of the soluons (Barre, 1998).
Time and organizational change
Organizaons work based on a simplisc understanding of me: that of the clock (linear perspecve) and that of the event
(cyclical perspecve). The linear perspecve is related to the passage of me and the maturaon of ideas and procedures.
The cyclic, in turn, deals with the me that the organizaon would like to have and that will give rise to goals, plans and
procedures. With the concept of improvisaon, it is possible to bring these 2 perspecves closer together, overcoming the idea
that one opposes the other (Crossan & Sorren, 1997). In pracce, OI oers analycal-conceptual support to understand the
dynamics and subjecvity of the relaonship between the 2 temporal perspecves in the organizaonal roune, since it can
establish elements of analysis and idenfy contradictory aspects between them (Aranha & Garcia, 2005). In improvisaon,
we do not have the desired me to nd the soluon and we mature with the queson presented.
Technology and marketing
Improvised markeng intervenons (IMIs) are social media acons composed and executed in real me, close to an external
event. The focus is on the concept of quick thinking, promong humor, punctuality or unpredictability. It is by IMIs that we
can see evidence about the value of the organizaon. These ndings point to the potenal of IMIs on social media and the
resources that organizaons must invest to reap the perceived benets of online sharing (Borah et al., 2020).
1021-1030
Cad. EBAPE.BR, v. 19, nº 4, Rio de Janeiro, Oct./Dec. 2021.
Organizational improvisation: challenges and perspectives for
management education
Fernanda Paquelet Moreira Barbosa
Eduardo Davel
Creativity and innovation
Every innovaon originates from a creave pracce, but not every creave pracce leads to innovaon. Creavity is a
recurring theme in all academic producons that deal with OI, as it is an inherent characterisc of improvisaon. However,
it must be understood as an emergent property of the relaonship between order and disorder, involving aspects that
are more social than individual (Montuori, 2003). The manager’s capacity and availability to give up what was planned to
follow a soluon created at the moment emphasizes collaboraon and can bring innovaon to those who know how
to cooperate (M. P. Cunha, 2002).
Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurs constantly face unexpected and unusual situaons. Those who thrive are improvisers. Entrepreneurial mindset
can be promoted based on the principles developed in the pracce of improvisaon. By improvisaon, entrepreneurs can learn
to pay aenon to the interpersonal condions of the present and the future to adapt potenal limitaons to the success of
the enterprise (Balachandra, 2019; H. Neck et al., 2018).
Leadership
Leaders can adopt a mindset that maximizes learning, remains responsive to emerging short-term opportunies and strengthens
the organizaon’s dynamic capabilies (Bernstain & Barre, 2011). The leadership must think of the group as creave, within
a well-distributed system, with decentralized control, in which going for ideas that are not supported by research, but that
follow the group’s reasoning and aempts it will oen be necessary (Barre, 2012).
Project management
Improvisaon is an organizaonal aribute that promotes the pracce of improvisaon and adaptaon in management (Hatch,
1998; Lewin, 1998). The pracce of improvisaon involves management (Crossan, 1998), understood as a social, collecve
and creave learning (Sawyer, 2000). Organizaonal adaptaon happens as one improvises, innovates and adjusts the work
roune over me (Orlikowski, 1996). OI helps explain new ways of organizing management pracce (Orlikowski, 2000) in an
emergent and mely manner (Orlikowski & Hofman, 1997), expanding listening (Caines & Heble, 2015), exercising resilience
(Weick, 1993 ) and being able to achieve originality (Leybourne, 2009). Contemporary organizaons are located in a complex
and changing world, in which OI can become a precious tool for project management (M. P. Cunha, 2002).
Conict and resistance
The relaonship between compeon and cooperaon within the organizaonal environment can be a conict-generang
combinaon. At OI, compeon and cooperaon are generators of creavity in conict resoluon, improving their management
capacity (Kirchbaum et al., 2014). More than people with a repertoire of varied soluons that know how to compete, some
situaons require, above all, people with the capacity for quick learning to cooperate, that is, capable of choosing a soluon
adjusted to the circumstances, breaking resistances (Weick, 1993). The process of resisng something, as in war, presupposes
a framework of connuous change, since it is not known for sure the next enemy’s steps. The construcon of resistance is an
act of improvisaon, since it is the moment when rules and structures can be temporarily suspended.
Organizational learning
Research on OI and organizaonal learning provides a vision on entrepreneurship learning, technological innovaon and
the fusion of unplanned changes and orders (Miner et al., 2001). The OI process has proven implicaons for organizaonal
learning, since it emerges to deal with problems that are not premeditated and require immediate resolution. Thus,
it provides a direct link with the previous and later learning process in the aempt, the success and the mistake (Flach, 2010;
Miner et al., 2001). Leaders can adopt a mindset that maximizes learning, taking advantage of the short-term opportunies
that arise and, at the same me, strengthening the dynamic capabilies of the organizaon (Bernatein & Barre, 2011).
1022-1030
Cad. EBAPE.BR, v. 19, nº 4, Rio de Janeiro, Oct./Dec. 2021.
Organizational improvisation: challenges and perspectives for
management education
Fernanda Paquelet Moreira Barbosa
Eduardo Davel
Challenge for Future Research: Organizational Improvisation Education
Learning to improvise
Improvisaon shows a disnct type of real-me learning, both short and long term (Miner et al., 2001). It is possible to observe
the OI, focusing on the role of the informaon ow and the acon-learning interacon, since the organizaon responds to
an environment of changes or a crisis (Chelariu et al., 2002). Learning can occur before – knowledge of minimum structures,
rules previous experiences –, during – the real me in which new paths, shapes and structures are created, and there is a
search for the soluon of the problem within a short period, promong experiences, acons and changes that converge in
me – and aer improvisaon – with permanence in memory and the possibility of reecng on mistakes and successes
in the search for other possible soluons (Flach, 2010).
Teaching to learn to improvise
The teaching and learning of OI appears to be a lack in academic producon. The skill of improvisaon can be taught to the
members of an organizaon by mock training, which promotes behavioral changes both in the individual and in the organizaon
(Vera & Crossan, 2005). However, nothing was found about OI educaon. This lack also shows the lack of pracce in educaonal
instuons, since OI is an implicit resource for those who are praccing an acon for the rst me. The adjustments between
the body and the mind at the moment of learning are the essence of OI.
ORGANIZATIONAL IMPROVISATION EDUCATION: APPROACHES, CHALLENGES AND
PERSPECTIVES
Educational Approaches in Management in Tune with OI
The educaonal process and the interacon between teachers and students in higher educaon involves planning and
learning interacon, inside and outside the classroom, and performance evaluaon as part of the construcon of learning
(Beni et al., 2017). The posioning of universies, aspects of management, the prole of the student and the relaonship
between curriculum and teaching acon compose the structural and instuonal dimension of the learning environment
of management (Lima & Silva, 2017). Despite the importance of pracce in professional training in management, there is
weakness in studies on issues focused on pracce (Cassundé, 2017).
Professional education is paradoxical and presents discontent on the part of students and teachers (Argyris & Schon,
1974). Scholars cricize the overly analycal emphasis on teaching, which ses creavity and lile integraon between
teaching and research, leading to a disconnecon between theory and pracce, between knowledge and acon (Wankel &
DeFillippi, 2006). The eld of management has been marked by a conict, in which the manager is seen as a technician whose
pracce consists of applying principles and methods derived from the science of management to the daily problems of his
organizaon (Schon, 1983). Higher educaon in many parts of the world has ignored that pracces can contribute to our
knowledge base in an interacve way, dierent from classroom educaon. That is, making a synthesis between theory and
pracce is possible by combining tacit knowledge, crical reecon and mastery (Raelin, 2007).
Studies point to a need to restructure paradigms in a constant assessment of educaonal pracce in management and the
development of management, promong reecon on organizaonal pracce (Czarniawska & Gagliardi, 2003). There is an
urgent need to incorporate a reecve dialogical pracce to develop professionals more crical, responsible and connected
to tacit and explicit knowledge (Cunlie & Easterby-Smith, 2004). Acve methodologies seek to help achieve complex levels
of thought and commitment by having principles based on promong autonomy, discovering potenal and improving the
quality of teaching and learning. The development of autonomy is a fundamental part of this process, since it is the ability to
self-govern within a moral or intellectual freedom or independence (Berbel, 2011).
We live in a period of defense of interdisciplinarity (Paiva, Esther & Melo, 2004), in which the atude is part of the development
of acons (Bresler, 2002) in the search for this to become a transformave experience (Dewey, 1938). If educaon is a pracce of
freedom (Freire, 2005), the absence of pracce (H. Neck et al., 2018; Steyaert, Beyes & Parker, 2016) characterizes the danger
of educang managers according to linear principles almost nonexistent in a complex world and with non-linear processes
(Aram & Walochik, 1997).
1023-1030
Cad. EBAPE.BR, v. 19, nº 4, Rio de Janeiro, Oct./Dec. 2021.
Organizational improvisation: challenges and perspectives for
management education
Fernanda Paquelet Moreira Barbosa
Eduardo Davel
We show four educaonal approaches to management that are in line with the principles of OI (Box 1): experienal, humanisc,
arsc and entrepreneurial.
Source: Research data.
1024-1030
Cad. EBAPE.BR, v. 19, nº 4, Rio de Janeiro, Oct./Dec. 2021.
Organizational improvisation: challenges and perspectives for
management education
Fernanda Paquelet Moreira Barbosa
Eduardo Davel
Barriers to Integrating OI in Management Education
Institutionalization of education as an essentially mental reection practice, with supercial practical activities
In general, teaching sta of management courses in teaching expository classes do not develop possibilies for student
involvement in a plural environment. The pracce of a reecon, essenally mental, with supercial praccal acvies does
not provide experiences and characterizes only theorecal references. The separaon between theory and pracce is a
reason for the lack of logical sequence of content with excessive lectures and lile exercise in autonomy and decision-making
(Cezarino & Corrêa, 2015). Acons, goals and paradigms of complexity are needed to keep the body in real connecon with
the mind. The debate ranges from the history of management and the study of the lives of its masters and instuons to the
legacy of teaching and programs developed, including curricula (Fisher, Waiandt & Fonseca, 2011). A constant historical
review of the challenges and trends of management educaon (Oliveira et al., 2015) indicates that the use is greater when
learning takes place in an environment in which discursive plurality is accepted and recognized and in which dierences are
tolerated (Clegg & Ross-Smith, 2006).
Educator intimidation in relation to artistic language applied in education
A delicate challenge in the management educaon relaons is the absence of paradigms of complexity and an excess of
strictly posivist lines of research. A more rened study in the management learning processes points to the importance
of subtlety and the emoonal aspects found in the arts. The adopon of arsc methodologies brings to light the aspects
related to the complexity and emoonal dimension necessary to understand the dynamic acon that management requires.
However, teaching sll underesmates the power of art or feels inmidated when using it due to the numerous doors it
opens. Arsc methodologies, when used, present a dierenal in learning and take advantage of approaches related to the
eld of management educaon. This inmidaon may not only be linked to lile knowledge of arsc methodologies, but
also to disbelief in their eecveness, even with so many proven and published cases. Art helps to beer posion students,
smulang the creaon of bonds between them and favoring a convivial relaonship with the teacher. This teacher changes
from being a simple transmier to being a co-producer of knowledge, anchoring learning in experience, reciprocity and
interacvity (Davel et al., 2007).
Perspectives for Integrating OI in Management Education
The observation of improvisation in the arts for the theoretical construction of OI, whether with jazz (Barrett, 1998;
M. P. Cunha, 2002; Hatch, 1998, 1999; Zack, 2000), or with the theater (Crossan, 1998; Koppe, 2013; Vera & Crossan, 2004,
2005), has been discussed in internaonal literature and sheds light on how the phenomenon of improvisaon can contribute
to new interpretaons of organizaonal learning (Barre, 1998; Flach & Antonello, 2011; Miner et al., 2001). We can think of
2 perspecves to integrate OI in the management educaon: the musical and the theatrical.
From a musical perspecve, jazz has in its structure a combinaon of improvisaon and a set of highly precise rules
(Barre, 1998; Hatch, 1999; Zack, 2000), in which musicians live in an unstable environment, interpreng vague tracks,
processing informaon, simultaneously formulang and implemenng strategies, invenng responses without well
thought out plans and without guarantee of results (Barre, 2000; Weick, 1998). It is a collecve and integrated work
(Basen & Hostager, 1988), which has implicaons for the eld of management and broadens debates on subjects ranging
from organizaonal design (Barre, 1998) to innovaons in markeng strategies (Moorman & Miner, 1998). The professional
with knowledge in OI can transform a problem into a soluon (Caines & Heble, 2015), experiencing a logical leadership
also known as the jazz mentality (Bernstein & Barre, 2011) and discovering the future that his acon creates at the same
me as it unfolds (Barre, 2000).
In pracce, the teacher does not need to be a jazz musician or play an instrument to propose a dynamic that mobilizes music in
improvisaon. It is possible to unfold the musical experimentaon and to emphasize dierent characteriscs, such as the
rhythm. To improvise, you need to be fully connected to those around you. The rhythm exercises are good for everyone
to perceive themselves within the same me. Another possibility of mobilizing music is motor coordinaon with small
1025-1030
Cad. EBAPE.BR, v. 19, nº 4, Rio de Janeiro, Oct./Dec. 2021.
Organizational improvisation: challenges and perspectives for
management education
Fernanda Paquelet Moreira Barbosa
Eduardo Davel
choreographies (free gestures) that are created at the me of the class and with the parcipaon of everyone. When the
class is more connected, music creaon can become a fruiul acvity for the learners to express everything that happened
in their day unl the moment of the class.
In the theatrical perspecve, it is possible to bridge the gap between theory and improvisaonal pracce in management
through theatrical improvisaon (Crossan, 1998). Theatrical improvisaon for management appears as a theorecal model
and has a posive eect on innovaon, emphasizing the principles of pracce, collaboraon, acceptance and presence
(Vera & Crossan, 2005). The theater metaphor recognizes the equivocal and unpredictable nature of improvisaon, emphasizing
its contribuon to the process, and not so much to the result (Vera & Crossan, 2004), like the Commedia Dell’arte, an improvised
theater genre that emerged in Europe in the 16th century (Crossan & Sorren, 1997). With theater, it is possible to experience the
risk, the leadership and the ambiguity that involve the present me and the informaon of the me spent in decision making
(March & Weil, 2005). The arts have been helping the eld of management educaon for a long me. However, it sll nds
resistance in being assumed as a fundamental dimension for the construcon of knowledge.
The use of theater in the classroom helps in the bodily understanding of how we should be prepared for management. It is
not necessary to be a theater person to ask the student to report a situaon in the form of a scene. When reproducing on
the scene a real situaon that happened to the student, many details and reecons emerge. Instead telling that they had
to resolve a team conict, the person needs to represent it, from start to nish. The me you have in the classroom for such
a dynamic is sucient for its realizaon, since the me of combinaon between the groups to explain the situaon to be
staged, the distribuon of roles and the spaal denions cannot be long to develop readiness and quick thinking. Aer the
scene, the debate is in charge of bringing up other details and other situaons related to the theme.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
The research results provide an understanding of academic producon on OI based on its various relevances, themes and
needs. A lack that is marked is related to the OI educaon. Therefore, as a result, we also mapped four approaches to
research on management educaon that have a connecon with OI research and barriers and perspecves for integrang OI
into educaonal acvity. Among approaches and perspecves, the arts represent a fundamental link for improving management
educaon and future prospects. Our study comes to seal the union of these two elds of knowledge – art and management –,
poinng out fruiul direcons for the research and the pracce of OI teaching and learning.
Some implicaons emerge from the research results. The rst is the theorecal-conceptual implicaon. The results
of our studies smulate new studies in OI to focus, theorecally and empirically, teaching, since the exisng research deals
only with learning (Barre, 1998; Falkheimer & Sandberg, 2018; Flach & Antonello, 2011; Miner et al., 2001). Thus, future
studies should deepen the understanding of how dynamic organizaons require people to develop their improvisaonal
skills (Mannucci, Orazi & Valck, 2020; Tabesh & Vera, 2020). It is necessary to rethink, theorecally and robustly, OI as
an educaonal phenomenon, considering that theater and music are fruiul arsc elds to guide future research on OI
management educaon. Management educaonal theories should be associated with those of educaonal and experimenng
with music and theater, since they make the connecon between the pracces of the present and the future. When we
reect theorecally upon this set of theories, it is possible to nd approximaons and gaps, in which the eld of the arts
assists that of management, and vice versa.
The second implication is methodological. Art-based methodologies are little used in the field of management
(Blumenfeld-Jones, 1995; Boje, Rosile, Durant & Luhnian, 2004; Czarniawska-Joerges, 1995; Grisoni, 2006; Hardy, 1999;
Hatch, 2002, 2008; Paen et al., 2003; Silva & Vergara, 2002; Sorensen, 2014). However, they could open new avenues of
empirical, relevant and innovave research on OI educaon. They help to go beyond what can be seen in the foreground
of understanding, since the experience with art is invariably sensive, profound and captures subtlees (Chilton, 2013;
Silva, 2000; Sullivan, 2010; Young, 2001). Thus, these methodologies allow the development of more sophiscated empirical
researches regarding the educaon and training of managers (Gagliardi & Czarniawska, 2006). There is a latent need for
empirical research focused on the educaon eld with a focus on pracce and OI. The empirical is smulang for the
1026-1030
Cad. EBAPE.BR, v. 19, nº 4, Rio de Janeiro, Oct./Dec. 2021.
Organizational improvisation: challenges and perspectives for
management education
Fernanda Paquelet Moreira Barbosa
Eduardo Davel
creaon of new approaches and new reecons. This is because empirical research on OI is rare and addresses only aspects
related to learning, working with qualitave methodologies, with an emphasis on observaon and the use of metaphors
(Barre, 1998; Falkheimer & Sandberg, 2018; Flach & Antonello, 2011; Miner et al., 2001). We understand the concern about
the limits of using an arsc methodology; both those of conducng and those of evaluaon. This understanding can be
soened by taking the methodology to the eld of experimentaon.
The third implicaon is praccal. It is within the scope of pracce that management learning and teaching are acvated
(Aram & Walochik, 1997; Berbel, 2011; Bresler, 2002; Cunlie & Easterby-Smith, 2004; Czarniawska & Gagliardi, 2003; Dewey,
1938; Freire, 2005; H. Neck et al., 2018; Paiva, Esther & Melo, 2004). Pracce is the path to the emergence and realizaon
of improvisaon, a fundamental component in the training of contemporary managers. By adopng theatrical or musical
exercise as a teaching tool, students will be able to develop and improve them in a professional and organizaonal scope.
Arsc acon can improve students’ ability to react and help teachers to rene their pedagogical experiences. Educators
have a reecon upon the importance of including improvisaon in their teaching concerns, in which everyone wins. There
is an important dierence between doing and thinking about doing something. The number of acons triggered to execute
an idea is easily perceived in a praccal dynamic. However, it is poorly understood in a theorecal observaon if the student
has not previously experienced something similar. Execuon links objecves to acons and makes it clear if the individual is
working for or against himself.
1027-1030
Cad. EBAPE.BR, v. 19, nº 4, Rio de Janeiro, Oct./Dec. 2021.
Organizational improvisation: challenges and perspectives for
management education
Fernanda Paquelet Moreira Barbosa
Eduardo Davel
REFERENCES
Aram, J. D., & Walochik, K. (1997). Improvisaon and the Spanish
Manager. Internaonal Studies of Management & Organizaon,
26(4), 73-89.
Aranha, E., & Garcia, N. (2005). Improvisação organizacional, jazz e as
representações do tempo na organização. Revista Ibero-Americana
de Estratégia, 4(1), 79-87.
Argyris, C., & Schon, D. (1974). Theory in Pracce: Increasing Professional
Eecveness. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Balachandra, L. (2020). The Improvisaonal Entrepreneur: Improvisaon
Training in Entrepreneurship Educaon. Journal of Small Business
Management, 57(1), 60-77.
Barber, K. (2007). Improvisaon and the Art of Making things Sck.
In E. Hallam, & T. Ingold (Eds.), Creavity and Cultural Improvisaon.
New York, NY: Berg.
Barrett, F. J. (1998). Creativity and Improvisation in Jazz and
Organizaons: Implicaons for Organizaonal Learning. Organizaon
Science, 9(5), 605-622.
Barrett, F. J. (2000). Cultivating an aesthetic of unfolding: jazz
improvisaon as a self-organizing system. In S. Linstead, & H. Hop
(Eds.), The Aesthecs of Organizaon. London, UK: Sage Publicaons.
Barre, F. J. (2012). Yes to the Mess: Surprising Leadership Lessons
from Jazz. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business School Press.
Basen, D. T., & Hostager, T. J. (1988). Jazz as a Process of Organizaonal
Innovaon. Communicaon Research, 15, 582-602.
Beni, P. F., Breno, F. R., Villela, L. M., Esteve, R., Jones, G. D. C., &
Forte, D. (2017). Processo de ensino-aprendizagem e a interação de
professores e alunos em um curso de graduação em Administração
de Empresas. Administração – Ensino e Pesquisa, 18(2), 345-374.
Berbel, N. A. N. (2011). As metodologias avas e a promoção da
autonomia de estudantes. Semina – Ciências Sociais e Humanas,
32(1), 25-40.
Bernstein, E. S., & Barre, F. J. (2011). Strategic Change and the Jazz
Mindset: Exploring Pracces that Enhance Dynamic Capabilies for
Organizaonal Improvisaon. Research in Organizaonal Change
and Development, 19, 55-90.
Blumenfeld-Jones, D. S. (1995). Dance as mode of research
representaon. Qualitave Inquiry, 1(4), 391-401.
Boje, D. M., Rosile, G. A., Durant, R. A., & Luhnian, J. T. (Eds.), (2004).
Enron Spectacles: A Crical Dramaturgical Analysis. Los Angeles, CA:
Sage Publicaon.
Bolzan, L. M., & Antunes, E. D. D. (2015). O que clamam as vozes dos
pesquisadores e sobre o que elas se calam ao abordarem o ensino
em administração no Brasil? Revista do Mestrado em Administração
e Desenvolvimento Empresarial, 19(3), 77-93.
Borah, A., Banerjee, S., Lin Y., Jain, A., & Eisingerich, A. B. (2020).
Improvised Marketing Interventions in Social Media. American
Markeng Associaon, 84(2), 69-91.
Bresler, R. (2002). Novos contornos da gestão local: conceitos em
construção.Revista de Administração de Empresas, 43(3), 108-109.
Caines, R., & Heble, A. (2015). The Improvisaon Studies Reader:
Spontaneous Acts. London, UK: Routledge.
Cassundé, F. (2017). [Re]pensando o estágio na formação prossional
dos estudantes de administração: um estudo sobre a produção cienca
brasileira na área. Administração – Ensino e Pesquisa, 18(3), 594-623.
Cavalcan, B. (2004). Da modelagem à improvisação: reinterpretando
a modelagem organizacional. Revista de Administração Pública,
38(4), 589-611.
Cezarino, L. O., & Corrêa, H. L. (2015). Interdisciplinaridade no ensino
em administração: visão de especialistas e coordenadores de cursos
de graduação. Administração – Ensino e Pesquisa, 16(4), 751-784.
Chelariu, C., Johnston, W. J., & Young, L. (2002). Learning to
Improvise, Improvising to Learn: A Process of Responding to Complex
Environments. Journal of Business Research, 55, 141-147.
Chilton, G. (2013) Altered Inquiry: Discovering Arts-Based Research
Through an Altered Book. International Journal of Qualitative
Methods, 12(1), 457-477.
Clegg, S. R., & Ross-Smith, A. (2006). Revising the Boundaries:
Management Education and Learning in a Postpositivist World.
Academy of Management Learning & Educaon, 2(1), 85-98.
Crossan, M. (1996). The Improvising Organizaons: When Planning
Meets Opportunity. Organizaonal Dynamics – Spring (14), 20-35.
Crossan, M. (1998). Improvisaon in Acon. Organizaon Science,
9(5), 593-599.
Crossan, M. C., Cunha, M. P., Vera, D., & Cunha, J. V. (2005). Time
and Organizaonal Improvisaon. Academy of Management Review,
30(1), 129-145.
Crossan, M., & Sorren, M. (1997). Making Sense of Improvisaon.
Advances in Strategic Management,14, 155-180.
Cunha, J. V., & Cunha, M. P. (2008). Improvisaon in Organizaons. In
Barry, D., & Hansen, H. (Eds.), The Sage Handbook of New Approaches
in Management and Organizaon. Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publicaons.
Cunha, J. V., Cunha, M. P., & Kamoche, K. (2003). Organizaonal
Improvisation: a Contextual Approach. International Review of
Sociology, 13(3), 567-589.
Cunha, M. P. (2002). All that jazz: três aplicações do conceito de
improvisação organizacional. Revista de Administração de Empresas,
42(3), 36-42.
Cunha, M. P. (2005). A arte dos improvisadores: a busca da
estandardização na música e nas organizações. Organizações &
Sociedade, 12(32), 93-104.
Cunha, M. P. (2014). Organizaonal Improvisaon: From the Constraint
of Strict Tempo to the Power of the Avant-Garde. Creavity and
Innovaon Management, 23(4), 359-373.
Cunha, M. P., & Cunha, J. V. (2000). Improvisação e organização.
In Rodrigues, S. B., & Cunha, M. P. (Eds.), Estudos organizacionais:
novas perspecvas na administração de empresas – uma coletânea
Luso-Brasileira. São Paulo, SP: Editora Iglu.
1028-1030
Cad. EBAPE.BR, v. 19, nº 4, Rio de Janeiro, Oct./Dec. 2021.
Organizational improvisation: challenges and perspectives for
management education
Fernanda Paquelet Moreira Barbosa
Eduardo Davel
Cunha, M. P., Cunha, J. V., & Kamoche, K. (1999). Organizaonal
improvisaon: what, when, how and why. Internaonal Journal of
Management Reviews, 1, 299-341.
Cunha, M. P., Cunha, R. C., & Kamoche, K. N. (2014). Organizaonal
Improvisaon and Leadership – A Field Study in Two Computer-
Mediated Settings. International Studies of Management &
Organizaon, 33(1), 34-57.
Cunha, M. P., Kamoche, K. N., & Cunha, R. C. (2003). Organizaonal
Improvisaon and Leadership - A Field Study in Two Computer-Mediated
Settings. International Studies of Management & Organization,
33(1), 34-57.
Cunliffe, A. L., & Easterby-Smith, M. (2004). From reflection to
praccal reexivity: Experienal learning as lived experience. In
M. Reynolds, & R. Vince (Eds.), Organizing reecon (pp. 30-46).
London, UK: Ashgate.
Czarniawska, B., & Gagliardi, P. (2003). Narraves we organize by.
Amsterdam, The Netherlands: John Benjamins Publishing Company.
Czarniawska-Joerges, B., & Jacobsson, B. (1995). Polical Organizaons
and Commedia Dell’Arte. Organizaon Studies, 16(3), 375-394.
Davel, E., Vergara, S., & Ghadiri, D. (2007). Administração com
arte: experiências vividas de ensino-aprendizagem. São Paulo, SP:
Editora Atlas.
Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and ducaon. New York, NY: Touchstone
Book.
Falkheimer, J., & Sandberg, K. G. (2018). The Art of Strategic
Improvisaon: A Professional Concept for Contemporary Communicaon
Managers. Journal of Communicaon Management, 22(2), 253-258.
Faria, J. H., Meneghe, F. K., & Stefani, D. (2016). Razão tradicional
e razão críca: os percursos da razão no ensino e a pesquisa em
administração na concepção da teoria críca. Revista de Ciências
da Administração, 18(45), 140-154.
Fischer, C. M., & Amabile, T. M. (2009). Creavity, improvisaon and
organizaons. In T. Rickards, M. A. Runco, M. A., & S. Moger (Eds.),
The Routledge Companion to Creavity. New York, NY: Routledge.
Fisher, C. M., & Barre, F. (2017). The Experience of Improvising
in Organizations: A Creative Process Perspective. Academy of
Management Perspecves, 33(2),148-162
Fisher, T., Waiandt, C., & Fonseca, R. L. (2011). A História do Ensino
em Administração: Contribuições Teórico-Metodológicas e uma
Proposta de Agenda de Pesquisa. Revista de Administração Pública,
45(4), 911-939.
Flach, L. (2010). Improvisação e aprendizagem em cervejarias
artesanais: um estudo no Brasil e na Alemanha (Doctoral Dissertaon).
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Administração, Universidade Federal
do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS.
Flach, L. (2012). A Rota das Cervejarias Artesanais de Santa Catarina:
Analisando Improvisação e Aprendizagem. GESTÃO.Org, 10(3), 567-594.
Flach, L., & Antonello, C. S. (2011). Improvisação e Aprendizagem nas
Organizações: reexões a parr da metáfora da improvisação no teatro
e na música. In C. S. Antonello, & A. S. Godoy (Eds.), Aprendizagem
Organizacional no Brasil. Porto Alegre, RS: Bookman.
Flach, L., & Antonello, C. S. (2011). Improvisaon and Learning Processes
in Organizaons: A Metaphor Applying the Brazilian Rhythm Choro.
Organizações & Sociedade, 18(59), 681-699.
Freire, P. (2005). Pedagogia do Oprimido. Rio de Janeiro, RJ: Paz e Terra.
Gagliardi, P., & Czarniawska, B. (2006). Management educaon and
humanies. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgared.
Giusniano, L., Cunha, M. P., & Clegg, S. (2016). LEGG, S. The dark
side of organizaonal improvisaon: Lessons from the sinking of
Costa Concordia. Business Horizons, 59(2), 223-232.
Grisoni, L., & Kirk, P. (2006). Verse, voice and va va voom! illuminang
management processes through poetry. Management Decision,
44(4), 512-525.
Hallam, E., & Ingold, T. (2007). Creavity and cultural improvisaon.
New York, NY: Berged.
Hardy, C., & Phillips, N. (1999). No joking maer: Discursive struggle
in the Canadian refugee system. Organizaon Studies, 20(1), 1-24.
Hatch, M. J. (2002). Explorando os Espaços Vazios: Jazz e Estrutura
Organizacional. Revista de Administração de Empresas, 42(3), 19-35.
Hatch, M. J. (1999). Exploring the Empty Spaces of Organizing: How
Improvisational Jazz Helps Redescribe Organizational Structure.
Organizaon Studies, 20(1), 75-100.
Hatch, M. J. (1998). Jazz as a Metaphor for Organizing in the 21st
century. Organizaon Science,9(5), 556-557.
Hatch, M. J. (1997). Jazzing up the Theory of Organizational
Improvisaon. Advances in Strategic Management, 14, 181-191.
Hatch, M. J. (2002). Explorando os Espaços Vazios: Jazz e Estrutura
Organizacional. Revista de Administração de Empresas, 42(3), 19-35.
Hmieleski, K. M., & Corbe, A. C. (2006). Proclivity for Improvisaon
as a Predictor of Entrepreneurial Intenons. Journal of Small Business
Management, 44(1), 45-63.
Hmieleski, K. M., & Corbe, A. C. (2008). The contrasng interacon
eects of improvisaonal behavior with entrepreneurial self-ecacy
on new venture performance and entrepreneur work sasfacon.
Journal of Business Venturing, 23(4), 482-496.
Kamoche, K. N., & Cunha, M. P. (2001). Minimal structures: from
jazz imrprovisaon to product innovaon. Organizaon Studies,
22(5), 733-764.
Kamoche, K. N., Cunha, M. P., & Cunha, J. V. (2002). Organizaonal
Improvisaon. New York, NY: Routledge.
Kamoche, K. N., Cunha, M. P., & Cunha, J. V. (2003). Towards a theory
of organizaonal improvisaon: looking beyond the jazz metaphor.
Journal of Management Studies, 40(8), 2023-2051.
Kirschbaum, C., Sakamoto, C., & Vasconcelos, F. C. (2014). Conito
e improvisação por design: a metáfora do repente. Organizações &
Sociedade, 21(68), 59-78.
Koppe, K. (2013). Training to imagine: praccal improvisaonal
theatre techniques for trainers and managers to enhance creavity,
teamwork, leadership, and learning. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.
Landfaster, U., & Metelmann, J. (2019). Transformave Management
Educaon. London, UK: Routledge.
1029-1030
Cad. EBAPE.BR, v. 19, nº 4, Rio de Janeiro, Oct./Dec. 2021.
Organizational improvisation: challenges and perspectives for
management education
Fernanda Paquelet Moreira Barbosa
Eduardo Davel
Lewin, A. Y. (1998). Jazz improvisaon as a metaphor for organizaon
theory. Organizaon Science, 9(5), 539.
Leybourne, S. A. (2006). Managing Improvisaon within Change
Management: Lessons from UK Financial Services. The Service
Industries Journal, 26(1), 73-95.
Leybourne, S. A. (2009). Improvisaon and Agile Project Management:
A Comparave Consideraon. Internaonal Journal of Managing
Projects in Business, 2(4), 519-535.
Leybourne, S. A., & Sadler-Smith, E. (2006). The Role of Intuion
and Improvisaon in Project Management. Internaonal Journal of
Project Management, 24, 483-492.
Lima, T., & Silva, A. (2017). O Ambiente Estrutural e Instucional do
Ensino de Administração na Região Nordeste do Brasil. Administração:
Ensino e Pesquisa, 18(2), 231-269.
Mannucci, P. V., Orazi, D. C., & Valck, K. (2020). Developing Improvisaon
Skills: The Inuence of Individual Orientaons. Administrave Science
Quarterly, 50, 329-366.
March, J., & Weil, T. (2005). On Leadership. New York, NY: Blackwell
Publishing.
Miner, A. S., Bassoff, P., & Moorman, C. (2001). Organizational
Improvisaon and Learning: A Field Study. Administrave Science
Quarterly, 46(2), 304-337.
Mintzberg, H., & Gosling, J. (2003). Educando administradores além
das fronteiras. Revista de Administração de Empresas, 43(2), 29-43.
Montuori, A. (2003). The Complexity of Improvisation and the
Improvisation of Complexity: Social Science, Art and Creativity.
Human Relaons, 56(2), 237.
Moorman, C., & Miner, A. S. (1998). Organizaonal Improvisaon
and Organizational Memory. Academy of Management Review,
23(4), 698-723.
Moorman, C., & Miner, A. S. (1998). The Convergence of Planning
and Execuon: Improvisaon in New Product Development. Journal
of Markeng, 62(3), 1-20.
Neck, H., Neck, C., & Murray, E. (2018). Entrepreneurship: The Pracce
and Mindset. London, UK: Sage Publicaons.
Nicholls, T. (2012). An Ethics of Improvisaon: Aesthec Possibilies
for a Polical Future. Lanham, Maryland: Lexington Books.
Nunes, S. C. (2010). O Ensino em Administração: Análise à Luz da
Abordagem das Competências. Revista de Ciências da Administração,
12(28), 198-223.
Oliveira, A. L., Lourenço, C. D. S., & Castro, C. C. (2015). Ensino de
Administração nos EUA e no Brasil: uma análise histórica. Pretexto,
16(1), 11-22.
Orlikowski, W. J. (1996). Improvising Organizaonal Transformaon
Over Time: A Situated Change Perspecve. Informaon Systems
Research, 7(1). Retrieved from hps://doi.org/10.1287/isre.7.1.63
Orlikowski, W. J. (2000). Using Technology and Constung Structures:
A Pracce Lens for Studying Technology in Organizaons. Organizaon
Science, 12(4), 404-428.
Orlikowski, W. J., & Hofman, J. D. (1997). An improvisaonal model
for change management: the case of groupware technologies. Sloan
Management Review, Winter, 11-21.
Paiva, K. C. M., Esther, A. B., & Melo, M. C. O. L. O. (2004). Formação
de Competências e Interdisciplinaridade no Ensino de Administração:
uma visão dos alunos. Revista Gestão e Planejamento, 5(10), 63-77.
Paent, D., Lawrence, T., & Maitlis, S. (2003). Understanding workplace
envy through narrave con. Organizaon Studies, 24(7), 1015-1044.
Raelin, J. (2007). Toward na Epistemology of Pracce. Academy of
Management Learning & Educaon, 6(4), 495-519.
Raen, V., & Hodge, J. (2016). So much theory, so lile pracce: a
literature review of workplace improvisaon training. Industrial and
Commercial Training, 48(3), 149-155.
Sawyer, R. K. (2000). Improvisaon and the Creave Process: Dewey,
Collingwood, and the aesthetics of spontaneity. The Journal of
Aesthecs and Art Cricism, 58(2), 149-161.
Sawyer, R. K. (2000). Improvisaonal cultures: collaborave emergence
and creavity in improvisaon. Mind, Culture and Acvity, 7(3), 180-185.
Scharmer, O. (2010). Teoria U: Como liderar pela percepção e
realização do futuro emergente. Rio de Janeiro, RJ: Editora Campus.
Schon, D. (1983). The reecve praconer: how professional think
in acon. New York, NY: Basic Books.
Shaw, P., & Stacey, R. (2006). Experiencing Spontaneity, Risk &
Improvisation in Organizational Life: Working Live. London, UK:
Routledge.
Silva, J. R. G. (2000). Signicado da Mudança: as percepções dos
funcionários de uma empresa brasileira diante da expectava de
privazação. Revista de Administração Pública, 34(1), 79-99.
Silva, J. R. G., & Vergara, S. C. (2002). Análise comparava acerca
da ulização de desenhos na pesquisa sobre a criação do sendo
da mudança organizacional. Organizações & Sociedade, 9(23), 1-20.
Sorensen, B. M. (2014). Changing the Memory of Suffering: An
Organizaonal Aesthecs of the Dark Side. Organizaon Studies,
35(2), 279-302.
Steyaert, C., Beyes, T., & Parker, M. (2016). The Routledge Companion
to Reinvenng Management Educaon. New York, NY: Routledge.
Sullivan, G. (2010). Art Pracce as Research. Los Angeles, CA: Sage
Publicaon.
Tabesh, P., & Vera, D. M. (2020). Top managers improvisaonal
decision-making in crisis: A Paradox Perspective. Management
Decision, 58(10), 2235-2256.
Vera, D., & Crossan, M. (2005). Improvisation and innovative
performance in teams. Organisaon Science, 16(3), 203-224.
Vera, D., & Crossan, M. (2004). Theatrical Improvisaon: Lessons for
Organizaons. Organizaon Studies, 25(5), 727-749.
Vergara, S. (2003). Repensando a relação ensino-aprendizagem em
Administração: Argumentos Teóricos, Prácas e Recursos. Organizações
& Sociedade, 10(28), 131-142.
1030-1030
Cad. EBAPE.BR, v. 19, nº 4, Rio de Janeiro, Oct./Dec. 2021.
Organizational improvisation: challenges and perspectives for
management education
Fernanda Paquelet Moreira Barbosa
Eduardo Davel
Fernanda Paquelet Moreira Barbosa
ORCID: hps://orcid.org/0000-0001-7404-2535
Eduardo Davel
ORCID: hps://orcid.org/0000-0003-0610-6474
Wankel, C., & DeFillippi, R. (2006). New Visions of Graduate Management
Educaon. Charloe, North Carolina: Informaon Age Publishing.
Weick, K. E. (1989). Organized improvisaon: 20 years of organizing.
Communicaon Studies, 40(4), 241-248.
Weick, K. E. (1993). The collapse of sensemaking in organizaons:
The Mann Gulch disaster. Administrative Science Quarterly,
38(4), 628-652.
Weick, K. E. (1998). Introductory essay-improvisaon as a mindset
for organizaonal analysis. Organizaon Science, 9(5), 539-622.
Weick, K. E. (2002). A estética da imperfeiçao em orquestras e
organizaçoes. Revista de Administração de Empresas, 42(3), 6-18.
Young, J. O. (2001). Art and knowledge. London, UK: Routledge.
Zack, M. H. (2000). Jazz improvisaon and organizing: once more
from the top. Organizaon Science, 11(2), 227-234.
