TY - JOUR

T1 - Organization, atmosphere, and digital technologies

T2 - Designing sensory order

AU - Jørgensen, Lydia

AU - Holt, Robin

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2019.

PY - 2019/9/1

Y1 - 2019/9/1

N2 - We argue technology and organization are inherently spatial phenomenon. We conceptualize this conjunction as atmosphere: a gathering of mood, human practice, material and environmental conditions, and values that has sufficient coherence and distinction to constitute a distinct interior. Atmospheres, however, are not entirely stable and present: the interior is porous to outside influence, and the interior is never wholly ordered. We show this through the study of digitally mediated architectural design practice. We find the technological mediation of atmospheres is constituted in sensory and affective spatial arrangements, and not in rationally calculated configurations of assets and goals. An atmosphere is inherently aesthetic. This allows us to gesture toward a definition of organization as technologically mediated spatial struggle to reconcile interior coherence with outward exposure.

AB - We argue technology and organization are inherently spatial phenomenon. We conceptualize this conjunction as atmosphere: a gathering of mood, human practice, material and environmental conditions, and values that has sufficient coherence and distinction to constitute a distinct interior. Atmospheres, however, are not entirely stable and present: the interior is porous to outside influence, and the interior is never wholly ordered. We show this through the study of digitally mediated architectural design practice. We find the technological mediation of atmospheres is constituted in sensory and affective spatial arrangements, and not in rationally calculated configurations of assets and goals. An atmosphere is inherently aesthetic. This allows us to gesture toward a definition of organization as technologically mediated spatial struggle to reconcile interior coherence with outward exposure.

KW - architecture

KW - Atmosphere

KW - organization

KW - phenomenology

KW - space

KW - technology

KW - Management studies

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85068233344&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1177/1350508419855698

DO - 10.1177/1350508419855698

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:85068233344

VL - 26

SP - 673

EP - 695

JO - Organization

JF - Organization

SN - 1350-5084

IS - 5

ER -