Abstract

Legitimizing a practice is a challenging task because it has to be constantly made understandable and meaningful to prospective users. Garnering such legitimacy is critical for successful practice diffusion and potential institutionalization. The process of theorization—rendering of ideas into understandable and compelling formats—is considered central to legitimacy construction. However, we still have a limited understanding of the specific mechanisms through which theorization happens. In this article, we address this issue by examining the microprocesses through which the practice of Design Thinking (DT) was theorized by its proponents in the field of business management. We undertook qualitative analysis, using grounded theory, of archival data. Our analysis revealed three key microprocesses: appropriation (presenting DT as a solution to abstract field-level problems), assimilation (integrating DT with current vocabularies and legacy practices within user organizations), and adaptation (redefining DT in order to resolve contradictions with legacy practices within organizations). This study makes two contributions. First, to the literature on theorization by explicating key microprocesses underlying theorization and providing a nuanced understanding of how legitimacy and theorization may be linked. Second, to the literature on management knowledge production, by showing how management practices and concepts may be contextualized and interlinked.

中文翻译：

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使跨领域的实践合法化：设计思维理论化的微观过程

摘要

使一种行为合法化是一项具有挑战性的任务，因为必须不断使它对潜在用户易懂和有意义。获得这样的合法性对于成功的实践传播和潜在的制度化至关重要。理论化的过程-将思想呈现为可理解和引人注目的格式-被认为是合法性构建的核心。但是，我们对发生理论化的具体机制仍然知之甚少。在本文中，我们通过研究微观流程来解决此问题，在微观流程中，企业管理领域的支持者通过其对“设计思维”（DT）的实践进行了理论化。我们使用扎实的理论对档案数据进行了定性分析。我们的分析揭示了三个关键的微过程：拨款（将DT表示为解决抽象的领域级问题的解决方案），吸收（将DT与用户组织中的当前词汇和遗留实践集成）和适应（重新定义DT以解决与组织内部的遗留实践之间的矛盾）。这项研究有两个贡献。首先，通过详细阐述理论化过程中的关键微过程并提供对合法性和理论化如何联系的精妙理解，来获得有关理论化的文献。第二，关于管理知识生产的文献，通过展示如何将管理实践和概念进行情境化和相互联系。和适应（重新定义DT，以解决与组织内部传统做法的矛盾）。这项研究有两个贡献。首先，通过详细阐述理论化过程中的关键微过程并提供对合法性和理论化如何联系的精妙理解，来获得有关理论化的文献。第二，关于管理知识生产的文献，通过展示如何将管理实践和概念进行情境化和相互联系。和适应（重新定义DT，以解决与组织内部传统做法的矛盾）。这项研究有两个贡献。首先，通过详细阐述理论化过程中的关键微过程并提供对合法性和理论化如何联系的精妙理解，来获得有关理论化的文献。第二，关于管理知识生产的文献，通过展示如何将管理实践和概念进行情境化和相互联系。