Linking organization theory and design theory: Towards Collective Action Theory and Design Oriented Organizations

Recently, engineering, artistic or cultural activities received growing interest in the literature. If we call « Design theories », the constitutional definitions of « things and/or learning about these things », those activities have in common that Design theories act there as explicit and basic organizational means. Organization theories do not define « things » or « knowledge » but « relations » (power, contracts, identities...) which also act as Design choices. Hence, Organization theory and Design theory constitute two interlocked approaches of the same phenomenon. This duality offers both an unvariant principle and a source of diversity in the forms of « collective action ». This perspective overcomes the limits of classical approaches of collective action (contingency, network, learning...) and opens new critical and research methodologies. It also allows to understand the shift towards « Design oriented organizations » which is linked to contemporary intensive forms of innovation.