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Emergent Order and Self-Organization: A Case Study of Alcoholics Anonymous

York University, Canada

Thomasina Borkman

George Mason University

Based on a case study of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), the authors argue that some self-help organizations are able to translate their tradition of group-level experiential learning into unique organization-wide learning cultures. The underlying premise of such learning cultures is that organization-level structures and processes evolve in response to group-level experiences. Instead of adopting a rigidly centralized, top-down approach, some self-help organizations appear to be driven by the collective needs and experiences of their member groups. In some cases, the most critical role of the central organizing body is to create a context within which multiple, diverse local groups are allowed to organize themselves according to their unique circumstances, opportunities, and challenges. The article uses a perspective in which it is possible to understand AA's approach to organization as the enactment of a self-organizing, emergent design process that is driven byanorganizationalcultureofexperientiallearningandexplorestherelevance of this to other self-help organizations.

Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Vol. 26, No. 4, 527-552 (1997)
DOI: 10.1177/0899764097264008


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