ABSTRACT
In Part II, we consider a series of concepts and relationships for an alternative organizational analysis to explore and develop; these are namely, actor-networks and sociological symmetry; fluidity and identity; time and temporality; decoration and disorganization; and governmentality and networks. In the present chapter, we focus on actor-network theory (ANT). Following an introduction to ANT, the chapter discusses key issues which underlie the production of ANT accounts, such as, the inclusion and exclusion of actors; the treatment of humans and non-humans; the role of agency and structure; notions of ontology, space and time; and the nature of politics and power. In so doing we also discuss the relationships between such issues and one of the underlying aims of ANT in terms of achieving a sense of ‘general symmetry’ in the accounting process. This will involve noting how ANT authors are frequently chastised for either failing to take sufficient account of, or promoting too strong a sense of, analytical symmetry in their writing. Therefore, within this chapter we will explore a major challenge facing ANT research on organizations with regards to producing accounts that are robust enough to negate the twin charges of symmetrical absence and symmetrical absurdity.
