Rhythms of Organizational Life: Rhythmanalysis as an Organizational Research Method

Abstract

Rhythms form an essential part of organizational life, involving embodied patterns of repetition and difference that structure work processes, against the ongoing background of wider organizational and environmental rhythms. Organizational literature increasingly recognizes the importance of rhythms; yet little methodological work exists, either at the level of theorization or practical guidance. The current study draws on Lefebvre's foundational work on rhythmanalysis to elaborate an organizational methodology for studying rhythms. We argue that rhythmanalysis provides a critically oriented approach to understanding social dynamics and advances theorizing about organizational environments by overcoming the dichotomy between entities and processes, stability and change. In this article, we propose methodological guidelines for developing the field of rhythmanalysis in organizational settings by illustrating how it can be conducted through the reanalysis of ethnographic material. We discuss the methodological contributions of rhythmanalysis for a critical exploration of organizational dynamics.