The Communicational Basis of Organization: Between the Conversation and the Text

Recent work in the sociology of scientific knowledge leads us to believe that organization exists in the interpretive processes of its members. A theory of communication is presented which views the communicational process as a double translation, from text to conversation and conversation into text. Using this theory as a basis, a conception of complex and extended forms of organization is developed which demonstrates that the text-conversation cycle underlies a complex process of networking out of which the identity of the organization emerges, and social structuring occurs, resulting in the division of labor and coordination. Implications of the theory are briefly considered for research.