{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,4]],"date-time":"2026-05-04T22:55:57Z","timestamp":1777935357560,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":132,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2014,9,15]],"date-time":"2014-09-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1410739200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Management Learning"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2015,11]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Improvisation has been treated largely as if it were a conceptual monolith: all improvisations are similar. We challenge this theorizing by distinguishing forms of improvisation in organizations (semi-structured, episodic, subversive, resistive) and by exploring ways in which these forms interrelate in improvisational sequences. Improvisation is not just something individuals do; it is a learned capacity that organizations can manage. We introduce the dimension of improvisational formality and informality, adding a political dimension to the study of the topic. By combining forms in process sequences, we organize the existing literature under a systematic perspective facilitating theory development via an integrative understanding of how improvisation produces learning.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/1350507614549121","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2014,9,15]],"date-time":"2014-09-15T21:14:00Z","timestamp":1410815640000},"page":"511-529","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":46,"title":["Tales of the unexpected: Discussing improvisational learning"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"46","author":[{"given":"Miguel Pina e","family":"Cunha","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Nova School of Business and Economics, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Pedro","family":"Neves","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Nova School of Business and Economics, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Stewart R","family":"Clegg","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Technology, Sydney, Australia; Nova School of Business and Economics, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Arm\u00e9nio","family":"Rego","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Universidade de Aveiro and Business Research Unit, Instituto Universit\u00e1rio de Lisboa, (ISCTE-IUL), Portugal"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2014,9,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"bibr1-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev.so.21.080195.000521"},{"key":"bibr2-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/2393986"},{"key":"bibr3-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1287\/orsc.1090.0423"},{"key":"bibr4-1350507614549121","first-page":"31","volume":"54","author":"Auster ER","year":"2013","journal-title":"MIT Sloan Management Review"},{"key":"bibr5-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2189\/asqu.2005.50.3.329"},{"key":"bibr6-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1108\/S0897-3016(2011)0000019005"},{"key":"bibr7-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/smj.4250160104"},{"key":"bibr8-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/soceco\/1.2.135"},{"key":"bibr9-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/smj.965"},{"key":"bibr10-1350507614549121","first-page":"71","volume":"53","author":"Bingham CB","year":"2011","journal-title":"MIT Sloan Management Review"},{"key":"bibr11-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1108\/17511341111099565"},{"key":"bibr12-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1287\/orsc.2.1.40"},{"key":"bibr13-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/2393807"},{"key":"bibr14-1350507614549121","volume-title":"Manufacturing Consent: Changes in the Labor Process Under Monopoly Capitalism","author":"Burawoy M","year":"1979"},{"key":"bibr15-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/14697017.2011.576653"},{"key":"bibr16-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1525\/cmr.2013.55.2.97"},{"key":"bibr17-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0148-2963(00)00149-1"},{"key":"bibr18-1350507614549121","volume-title":"Modern Organizations: Organization Studies in the Postmodern World","author":"Clegg SR","year":"1990"},{"key":"bibr19-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0018726702555001"},{"key":"bibr20-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4135\/9781446215715"},{"key":"bibr21-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1350507604041163"},{"key":"bibr22-1350507614549121","volume-title":"Escape Attempts: The Theory and Form of Resistance in Everyday Life","author":"Cohen S","year":"1976"},{"key":"bibr23-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/1467-6486.00208"},{"key":"bibr24-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1287\/orsc.1110.0657"},{"key":"bibr25-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.5465\/amr.2005.15281441"},{"key":"bibr26-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0742-3322(06)23009-2"},{"key":"bibr27-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0090-2616(96)90011-X"},{"key":"bibr28-1350507614549121","volume-title":"L\u2019acteur et le syst\u00e8me","author":"Crozier M","year":"1976"},{"key":"bibr29-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/1468-2370.00017"},{"key":"bibr30-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/00208825.2003.11043677"},{"key":"bibr31-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1108\/09604520911005053"},{"key":"bibr32-1350507614549121","first-page":"45","volume":"9","author":"D\u2019Aveni RA","year":"1995","journal-title":"Academy of Management Executive"},{"key":"bibr33-1350507614549121","first-page":"21","volume":"7","author":"D\u2019Aveni RA","year":"1996","journal-title":"Organization Science"},{"issue":"3","key":"bibr34-1350507614549121","first-page":"43","volume":"49","author":"Day G","year":"2008","journal-title":"MIT Sloan Management Review"},{"key":"bibr35-1350507614549121","volume-title":"The Form of Everyday Life","author":"De Certeau M","year":"1984"},{"issue":"2","key":"bibr36-1350507614549121","first-page":"45","volume":"45","author":"De Holan P","year":"2004","journal-title":"MIT Sloan Management Review"},{"key":"bibr37-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1350508410393773"},{"key":"bibr38-1350507614549121","first-page":"119","author":"Deshpand\u00e9 R","year":"2011","journal-title":"Harvard Business Review"},{"key":"bibr39-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1108\/S0733-558X(2010)0000028014"},{"key":"bibr40-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4135\/9781446201084.n30"},{"key":"bibr41-1350507614549121","first-page":"107","author":"Eisenhardt KM","year":"2001","journal-title":"Harvard Business Review"},{"key":"bibr42-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1287\/orsc.1080.0358"},{"key":"bibr43-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1287\/orsc.11.6.611.12529"},{"key":"bibr44-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0170840607088018"},{"key":"bibr45-1350507614549121","volume-title":"The \u2018Business\u2019 of Reforming American Schools","author":"Gelberg D","year":"1997"},{"key":"bibr46-1350507614549121","volume-title":"Uncommon Sense, Common Nonsense","author":"Goddard J","year":"2013"},{"key":"bibr47-1350507614549121","volume-title":"Asylums","author":"Goffman E","year":"1961"},{"key":"bibr48-1350507614549121","volume-title":"Power, Knowledge and Domination","author":"Gordon RD","year":"2007"},{"key":"bibr49-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.riob.2008.04.002"},{"key":"bibr50-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.5465\/amj.2011.59215085"},{"key":"bibr51-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1468-5973.2005.00465.x"},{"key":"bibr52-1350507614549121","unstructured":"Hall J (2010) An autopoietic aesthetic for interactive robotic installation. Available at: http:\/\/www.jenhall.org\/autopoetic.html (accessed 26 October 2013)."},{"key":"bibr53-1350507614549121","first-page":"137","author":"Hamel G","year":"2000","journal-title":"Harvard Business Review"},{"key":"bibr54-1350507614549121","author":"Hamel G","year":"2011","journal-title":"Harvard Business Review"},{"key":"bibr55-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/3094872"},{"key":"bibr56-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0092070306287324"},{"key":"bibr57-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/smj.955"},{"key":"bibr58-1350507614549121","volume-title":"A Propensity to Self-Subversion","author":"Hirshman AO","year":"1995"},{"key":"bibr59-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/256962"},{"key":"bibr60-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1108\/17422041111180782"},{"key":"bibr61-1350507614549121","first-page":"93","author":"Ignatius A","year":"2011","journal-title":"Harvard Business Review"},{"key":"bibr62-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1287\/orsc.1110.0693"},{"key":"bibr63-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1350507609357388"},{"key":"bibr64-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0170840601225001"},{"issue":"2","key":"bibr65-1350507614549121","first-page":"93","volume":"6","author":"Kamoche K","year":"2008","journal-title":"Management Research"},{"key":"bibr66-1350507614549121","volume-title":"Obliquity","author":"Kay J","year":"2011"},{"key":"bibr67-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/001872679004300804"},{"key":"bibr68-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0170840611410833"},{"key":"bibr69-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.5465\/amj.2013.4001"},{"key":"bibr70-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.5465\/amr.2005.15281451"},{"key":"bibr71-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1350507609357004"},{"key":"bibr72-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/1097-0266(200009)21:9<875::AID-SMJ126>3.0.CO;2-P"},{"key":"bibr73-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/ntwe.12023"},{"key":"bibr74-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.lrp.2009.07.005"},{"key":"bibr75-1350507614549121","author":"McGrath RG","year":"2013","journal-title":"Harvard Business Review"},{"key":"bibr76-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/016344396018002010"},{"key":"bibr77-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/hrm.21561"},{"key":"bibr78-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.respol.2009.03.004"},{"key":"bibr79-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.5465\/AMR.2010.53502801"},{"key":"bibr80-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0191-3085(06)27003-5"},{"key":"bibr81-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0170840608088767"},{"key":"bibr82-1350507614549121","first-page":"69","volume-title":"Ambiguity and Choice in Organizations","author":"March JG","year":"1976"},{"key":"bibr83-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1287\/orsc.2.1.71"},{"key":"bibr84-1350507614549121","volume-title":"Organizations","author":"March JG","year":"1958"},{"issue":"2","key":"bibr85-1350507614549121","first-page":"45","volume":"45","author":"Martin de Holan P","year":"2004","journal-title":"MIT Sloan Management Review"},{"key":"bibr86-1350507614549121","volume-title":"The New Gold Standard","author":"Michelli JA","year":"2008"},{"key":"bibr87-1350507614549121","author":"Miller P","year":"2013","journal-title":"Harvard Business Review"},{"key":"bibr88-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/2667089"},{"key":"bibr89-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1108\/09534819410061397"},{"key":"bibr90-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/002224299806200301"},{"key":"bibr91-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.hrmr.2007.08.002"},{"key":"bibr92-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1287\/orsc.7.3.342"},{"key":"bibr93-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1287\/isre.7.1.63"},{"key":"bibr94-1350507614549121","first-page":"11","author":"Orlikowski WJ","year":"1997","journal-title":"Sloan Management Review"},{"key":"bibr95-1350507614549121","volume-title":"Talking About Machines: An Ethnography of a Modern Job","author":"Orr JE","year":"1996"},{"key":"bibr96-1350507614549121","first-page":"112","volume":"38","author":"Pascale RT","year":"1996","journal-title":"California Management Review"},{"issue":"5","key":"bibr97-1350507614549121","first-page":"72","volume":"83","author":"Pascale RT","year":"2005","journal-title":"Harvard Business Review"},{"key":"bibr98-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/1467-6486.00343"},{"key":"bibr99-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0090-2616(91)90053-C"},{"key":"bibr100-1350507614549121","first-page":"113","author":"Rashid F","year":"2013","journal-title":"Harvard Business Review"},{"issue":"1","key":"bibr101-1350507614549121","first-page":"21","volume":"7","author":"Rerup C","year":"2001","journal-title":"Comportamento Organizacional e Gest\u00e3o"},{"key":"bibr102-1350507614549121","volume-title":"The McDonaldization of Society","author":"Ritzer G","year":"2004"},{"key":"bibr103-1350507614549121","volume-title":"Group Creativity: Music, Theater, Collaboration","author":"Sawyer K","year":"2003"},{"key":"bibr104-1350507614549121","volume-title":"Group Genius: The Creative Power of Collaboration","author":"Sawyer K","year":"2007"},{"key":"bibr105-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0038038509357198"},{"key":"bibr106-1350507614549121","volume-title":"Manufacturing Rationality: The Engineering Foundations of the Managerial Revolution","author":"Shenhav Y","year":"1999"},{"key":"bibr107-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.5465\/amj.2012.0048"},{"key":"bibr108-1350507614549121","volume-title":"The Chaos Frontier","author":"Stacey R","year":"1991"},{"key":"bibr109-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0021886311398453"},{"key":"bibr110-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/256580"},{"key":"bibr111-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1467-8691.2007.00462.x"},{"issue":"9","key":"bibr112-1350507614549121","first-page":"69","volume":"90","author":"Sull D","year":"2012","journal-title":"Harvard Business Review"},{"key":"bibr113-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/2393872"},{"key":"bibr114-1350507614549121","volume-title":"The Principles of Scientific Management","author":"Taylor FW","year":"1911"},{"key":"bibr115-1350507614549121","volume-title":"Organizations in Action","author":"Thompson JD","year":"1967"},{"key":"bibr116-1350507614549121","volume-title":"Complex Knowledge: Studies in Organizational Epistemology","author":"Tsoukas H","year":"2005"},{"key":"bibr117-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1287\/orsc.13.5.567.7810"},{"key":"bibr118-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0170840611410805"},{"key":"bibr119-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1287\/orsc.8.1.71"},{"key":"bibr120-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/258786"},{"key":"bibr121-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0149206314530168"},{"key":"bibr122-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1504\/IJEM.2006.010282"},{"key":"bibr123-1350507614549121","volume-title":"The Social Psychology of Organizing","author":"Weick KE","year":"1979","edition":"2"},{"key":"bibr124-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/10510978909368277"},{"key":"bibr125-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/2393339"},{"key":"bibr126-1350507614549121","first-page":"5","volume":"5","author":"Weick KE","year":"1999","journal-title":"Comportamento Organizacional e Gest\u00e3o"},{"key":"bibr127-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev.psych.50.1.361"},{"key":"bibr128-1350507614549121","first-page":"440","volume-title":"Handbook of Organization Studies","author":"Weick KE","year":"1996"},{"key":"bibr129-1350507614549121","volume-title":"The Art of Negotiation: How to Improvise Agreement in a Chaotic World","author":"Wheeler M","year":"2013"},{"key":"bibr130-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/smj.492"},{"key":"bibr131-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1467-6486.2009.00859.x"},{"key":"bibr132-1350507614549121","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1571-9979.2011.00302.x"}],"container-title":["Management Learning"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/1350507614549121","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1177\/1350507614549121","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/1350507614549121","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,2]],"date-time":"2026-05-02T02:54:20Z","timestamp":1777690460000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/1350507614549121"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2014,9,15]]},"references-count":132,"journal-issue":{"issue":"5","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2015,11]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1177\/1350507614549121"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/1350507614549121","relation":{},"ISSN":["1350-5076","1461-7307"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1350-5076","type":"print"},{"value":"1461-7307","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2014,9,15]]}}}