Deleuze and Organisations A Double Capture Harkaitz Ibaiondo March 2020 Submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in the Department of Organisation, Work and Technology of the University of Lancaster. 1 Declaration I declare that the content of this thesis is my own work and that it has not been submitted in any form for the award of a higher degree elsewhere. Harkaitz Ibaiondo, Tolosa, Basque Country, 2020 2 Abstract Why is it that some organisations resist much-needed change, even when change is self-evident? Why do organisations and organisational actors keep on following the same processes, rules, and strategies, even when existing organisational procedures and routines no longer seem to work? How can we account for organisational transformation, or the lack thereof? ‘We’ here does not refer to academics or researchers. It refers to organisational researchers and practitioners. In other words, how can I, as both researcher and manager, simultaneously, account for—and facilitate—the organisational transformation of the company (Sigma) where I work? The objective of this research is not (only) a conceptual understanding of organisational transformation. It is not about transformation, rather, it aims at an actual transformation. Aiming at understanding and performing transformation, this research experiments with the encounter between Sigma and the different domain of philosophy. I connect the French philosopher Gilles Deleuze’s work with the organisation I work for as a senior manager. I traverse both worlds, concepts (theory) and practices, and observe the effect of their encounter. Stated differently, this research experiments with a specific type of relationship between different elements and traces its transformations. The experiment entails observations (ethnographic fieldwork into organisational practices), the creation of concepts, and active interventions in the object of study, Sigma. Differently stated, the experiment involves what I refer to as exploration, reflection and crafting. Exploration involves detecting the affects produced by the encounter with Sigma and Deleuze’s text; a multiplicity of intensities or impressions is created. Reflection means the coming together of these impressions in a new concept of Sigma as thought experiment. Crafting entails the actualisation or embodiment of the concept in concrete practices and discourses. This is arguably a new method. It emerges from the encounter with Deleuze’s work. Similarly, a new reading of Deleuze’s work1 (I consider him a philosopher of organisation) and a transformed organisation (Sigma) emerge from their encounter. The key arguments that this thesis puts forward is that transformation happens when a specific type of relationship becomes embodied. I call this relationship ‘double capture’ or ‘nomadic traverse’. Which is conceptualised and practised throughout the thesis and the research. The key to transformation are these ‘double capture’ relationships. In this regard, the thesis expands the experiment also to the relationship with the reader--aiming at enacting a transformation rather than just reading about it. Focusing on ‘double capture’ relationships has proven transformative. Arguably, through ‘double capture’ relationships the organisation implicated in the experiment (Sigma), the field of organisation studies, Deleuzian studies, and the reader might be 1 I think that it is new, at least for Organisation Studies. 3 transformed. Undoubtedly, the research transformed from an experiment aiming at organisational transformation to my personal transformative journey, which paradoxically also entails a collective transformation 4 Table of contents Declaration 2 Abstract 3 Acknowledgements 10 Table of Figures 11 Table of Tables 12 Preface 13 Chapter 1. Making a Difference of Theory and of Practice 16 1.1. The research focus or question 16 1.2. Introduction to Sigma, Its Need for Change 17 1.3. Introduction of the researcher and manager, and theory and practice 18 1.4. Introduction of Deleuze. Using his philosophy, seriously 19 1.5. Exploring the relation between theory and practice with Deleuze. 21 1.6. Introduction to the experiment. Where Deleuze and research meet. 26 1.6.1. Experiment with double capture. Performing a transformation. 26 1.6.2. Experiment with thesis structure 27 1.6.3. Experiment with other ways of doing PhD research in Organisation Studies 29 1.7. Summary 31 Chapter 2. Sigma 33 2.1. Introduction 33 2.2. A brief description of Sigma 35 2.2.1. Sigma’s history and mission 35 Figure 1: Turnover and employees from 2002 to 2017 37 2.2.2. Sigma’s organisational chart and processes 38 Figure 2: Director level Organisational chart May 2016 38 Figure 3: Commercial department Organisational chart May 2016 38 Figure 4: Operations department Organisational chart May 2016 39 Figure 5: Product Development department Organisational chart May 2016 39 Figure 6: Process Map 2016 40 Table 1: Map of processes, adapted from “Mapa de comités Sigma 04.2017” 43 Table 2: Functional department versus Processes 44 2.3. Exploring intensities 45 2.3.1. Exploring the intensities of Sigma’s culture 45 Table 3: Current Sigma value assessment from 2014 to 2017 46 2.3.2. Exploring Sigma’s employee values 47 Table 4: Personal values assessment 2014 - 2017 47 5 2.3.3. Exploring the intensities of Sigma Board of Directors 47 2.3.3.1. Board of Directors’ value assessment. 48 Table 5: Current Sigma value assessment from the Board of Directors, 2016 48 2.3.3.2. Board of Directors’ five dysfunctions according to Lencioni. 49 Figure 7: Results of the questionnaire based on Lencioni applied to the Board 49 2.3.3.3. Board of Directors’ roles according to Belbin 50 Table 6: The Roles of the Board according to Belbin’s methodology 51 Figure 8: Excerpt from the "Delta" (2017) report in Spanish 52 Table 7: Translation of the “Delta” remarks in Figure 8 52 2.4. Encountering intensities, searching the impact of Sigma in its employees 53 2.4.1. “Sigma is a project”. 54 2.4.2. “Sigma is conditioned by its relationship to Alpha”. 55 2.4.3. “Sigma as a Navel-gazer. Looking inside rather than outside”. 56 2.4.4. Sigma has no direction. 58 2.4.5. Sigma in constant movement, always changing 60 2.5. Manager’s view on Sigma. 62 2.6. Conclusions of the Exploration of Sigma. The traverse of research and management. 64 Chapter 3. To explore Deleuze’s Organisation 67 3.1. Introduction 67 3.2. Difference in itself or kind and difference in degree 67 3.3. The effect of the coming together of singularities: Organisation, Assemblage 69 3.3.1. Introduction: Assemblage 69 3.3.2. Assemblage: consistency, the holding together 71 3.3.3. Plane of consistency, abstract machine and concrete assemblage 73 Figure 9: Assemblage’s axes 74 3.3.3.1. Abstract machine or power 74 3.3.3.2. Plane of Consistency 75 3.3.3.3. Concrete assemblage 77 3.3.3.4. The preliminary relationship between elements of the assemblage 77 Interlude 79 3.4. Relating differences: a typology of relations 80 3.4.1. The three Syntheses or legitimate relations 80 3.4.2. Axiomatics or Capitalism 83 3.4.3. Nomadic Traverse 85 3.5. Transforming organisations 86 3.5.1. Relations between practices and discourses or content and expression 87 3.5.2. Encountering the absolute outside; thought and free action 88 3.5.3. Transformative circle between virtual and actual 91 Figure 10: Products as sedimentation of a flow or process 92 6 Figure 11: Molecular lines of flight condensing in new Molar 93 Figure 12: Molar-Lines of flight-molecular-Sedimentation Circle 94 Figure 13: Transformative Actual-Virtual Circle 95 3.5.4. The Agent, the third element of assemblages 96 Chapter 4. Pragmatics 99 4.1. Introduction 99 Table 8: Pragmatics components and movements correlation 100 4.2. Exploration 101 4.2.1. Exploring Deleuze’s concepts. Reading 101 4.2.2. Exploring Sigma. Differentiating differences 101 4.2.3. Criticising representations 105 4.2.4. Observer participant 106 4.2.5. Generative Pragmatics 108 4.2.6. Transformational Pragmatics 111 Table 9: Pragmatics components and chapters correlation 111 4.3. Thinking Sigma 112 4.4. Crafting Sigma 114 4.5. Conclusion 117 Chapter 5. Thinking a potential Sigma 120 5.1. Introduction 120 5.2. The Technological Centre 122 5.3. The Centralised Organisation 124 5.4. The Business-Oriented Organisation 127 5.5. The Growing Organisation 131 5.5.1. People-oriented organisation 132 5.5.2. Desire for transformation 133 Table 4: Personal values assessment from 2014 to 2017 134 Table 3: Current Sigma value assessment from 2014 to 2017 135 Table 10: Desired culture of Sigma value assessment from 2014 to 2017 135 5.5.3. Focus on how we work together, on how we come together 136 5.5.4. Traverse of singular perspectives 138 5.6. Concluding remarks 140 Chapter 6. Interventions: Crafting the transformation of Sigma 142 6.1. Introduction 142 6.1.1. The implementation of the new abstract machine versus a continuous traverse 142 6.1.2. Is the growing organisation real? An experiment. 145 6.1.3. The interventions 147 Figure 14: Three groups of interventions 149 7 6.2. Explorative intervention 149 6.2.1. New discourses: Lencioni’s group dynamics. 149 6.2.2. New practices: Mapping relationships. 150 6.2.3. New practices and new discourses: Barrett’s cultural assessment. 150 6.2.4. The embodiment of the growing organisation: Interviews and surveys 151 Figure 15: Explorative interventions 153 6.3. The political intervention. 153 6.3.1. From exploration to crafts 153 6.3.2. Trying to change practices and discourses: The researcher’s proposals 154 6.3.3. Implementing practices as the Commercial Director 155 Figure 16: Political interventions 157 6.3.4.