Spontaneity and Power - Theatre Improvisation as Processes of Change in Organizations

This book is relevant for consultants managers and others who seek to understand the processes of relating in which they participate. Larsen uses improvisational theatre as a form of consulting. In the interplay of audience and player immediate change is created in the ongoing life of the organization because in the movement of the im­provisation meaning emerges spontaneously. Larsen argues that al­though such spontaneity is experienced individually it is in fact social processes in which it is felt risky to participate. It seems to me that the apparently small shifts that Larsen describes change what is known organizationally not as a moment of uncovering what is already there but as the emergence of novelty in the processes of mutual spon­taneous action. However this is not just about theatre. Larsen con­tends that what is critical to whether or not change occurs is how much spontaneity people finds themselves risking in the face of power differentials. He asks how the heightened sense of risk is to be understood and what makes invitations to spontaneity both difficult and crucial.Professor Ralph Stacey Complexity and Management Centre