Process Multiplicity and Process Dynamics: Weaving the Space of Possible Paths

Brian T. Pentland, Christian A. Mahringer, Katharina Dittrich, Martha S. Feldman, Julie Ryan Wolf
2020 Organization Theory  
In research on process organization studies, the concept of multiplicity is widely used, but a fundamental confusion about what process multiplicity means persists. As a result, we miss some of the potential of this concept for understanding process dynamics and process change. In this paper, we define process multiplicity as a duality of 'one' and 'many', and we conceptualize 'the many' as a space of possible paths encompassed by a process. We use the notion of paths to operationalize process
more » ... ultiplicity and make it accessible for empirical research. When we see process as a multiplicity, process change can be understood as expanding, shifting or contracting the space of possible paths. We suggest that this concept of process multiplicity also has implications for a range of other theoretical and practical topics, including standards, standardization and flexibility as well as process replication, management and resilience.
doi:10.1177/2631787720963138 fatcat:gxjx3y5ybfbq5jcc3kxisrq4uu