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Multiplicities of time in management and organizational research

Lookup NU author(s): Professor Charles HarveyORCiD

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

Abstract

© 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.This paper explores the multiplicity of time in organizational life through the lens of life-history interviews with business elites, conducted as part of a longitudinal Bourdieusian study of power dynamics within French and British business systems. Drawing on Braudel’s concept of the dialectic between the longue durée and l’histoire événementielle, we examine how the professional trajectories of three senior executives ─ a global asset management CEO, a multinational media CEO, and an energy sector managing director ─ reveal the interplay between sustained patience and transformative critical incidents. The findings highlight how temporal multiplicity shapes managerial agency and decision-making, demonstrating that organizational lives unfold in rhythms punctuated by pivotal moments requiring reflexive action. In emphasizing the value of patience amid turbulent conditions, we contribute to temporal theorizing in organizational studies by illuminating how historical reflexivity and temporal plurality inform leadership practices and organizational trajectories. This reflection enriches understanding of temporal dynamics that shape contemporary managerial realities.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Maclean M, Harvey C

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Management and Organizational History

Year: 2026

Volume: 21

Issue: 1-2

Pages: 92-100

Online publication date: 27/10/2025

Acceptance date: 27/10/2025

Date deposited: 15/12/2025

ISSN (print): 1744-9359

ISSN (electronic): 1744-9367

Publisher: Routledge

URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/17449359.2025.2595975

DOI: 10.1080/17449359.2025.2595975

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