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.