Time and Date: 9 November, 2023 at 10.00-11.30
Venue: Score, Frescativägen 14A, Stockholm University

What difference does it make what the meta-organization does? Activity logics in meta-organizations

In my presentation I will argue that the kind of tasks or activities a meta-organization undertakes will have consequences for the way it needs to organize. I identify and discuss different types of activity and different types of beneficiaries in meta-organizations, and argue for six ideal typical activity logics. These activity logicsdiffer in the authority the members need to hand over to themeta-organization, the level of engagement needed by members and thus the kind of resource-flow demanded and level of interaction possible/needed among the members, and linked to this the kind of identification members need with the meta-organization. I discuss how the mixing of these different activity logics creates tensions and can be expected to be a common source of conflict in meta-organizations, as each logic demands differences in the organizing of the management, governance and the member relations. Understanding these activity logics thus can be essential in helping us to both be able to predict tensions, and to start producing advice on how to navigate these tensions in practice in the future.