The Look and Feel of The Iron Cage: On The Material Design Features of Formalization

This paper outlines a path for recovering the relevance of formalization in organization theory. I develop a new perspective by integrating streams of organization research and expanding them via insights from art, design, and technology. Specifically, I connect research on formalization, materiality, and technology to re-conceptualize formalization as an artifact. Then, drawing on art and design principles, I identify three dimensions of the “look and feel” of formalizations (shape, color, and scale) and explore how they allow us to better grasp the characteristics of different types of formalization. I illustrate this frame of analysis with the example of a formalization for knowledge sharing developed in a bureaucratic organization. I discuss how this new perspective—by highlighting key elements in the way individuals experience and relate to formalizations—sheds light on conflicting ideas on the role of formalization in organizational processes and the connections among formal organization elements in complex work settings. I conclude by outlining the implications of a renewed understanding of formalization for research on work and (new) organizational forms.