P(l)aying Attention: Communities of Practice and Organized Reflection

Critical treatments of organizations focus on conditions that precede, support, and engage emancipatory action in organizations. One of these conditions is a prevalence of critical reflection (Reynolds, 1998). Previous work (Welsh and Dehler, 2001) linked the process of critical reflection to the practices of constructive deviants - individuals who persistently question assumptions and challenge understandings (i.e., critical reflection). By using critique to illuminate the contradictions and ambiguities of their workplace, constructive deviants create opportunities for self-organization to occur. Both Reynolds (1998) and Vince (2002) raise the prospect of extending the examination of critical reflection to the organizational level. They also contend that critical reflection, because it makes power relations clearly visible, sets the stage for emancipatory action.