Frans Kamsteeg | Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (original) (raw)
Papers by Frans Kamsteeg
DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), Mar 1, 1990
La invesiigaci6n en la cual se basa este articulo, se llev6 a cab0 en Arequipa, P e d , en el aii... more La invesiigaci6n en la cual se basa este articulo, se llev6 a cab0 en Arequipa, P e d , en el aiio 1987. Fue posible gracias a una beca de la Fundaci6n Neerlandesa para el Fomento de Investigaciones Tropicales (WOTRO). Los nombres de 10s barrios, las congregaciones, 10s templos. y la gente han sido cambiados. Agradezco a Rosa Dierna por la correcci6n del castellano.
This chapter presents a detailed study of a merging process of three Dutch Catholic organizations... more This chapter presents a detailed study of a merging process of three Dutch Catholic organizations providing development aid. It is a story of how the deconstruction of boundaries between organizations provokes the reinvention of boundaries between different groups of people within the new organization. This story is put in the context of a society in which ideological boundaries between population groups gradually become less visible, but nevertheless continue to be a pervasive organizing principle. I therefore put Cordaid - the name of the new merger organization - in the context of the peculiarities of this Dutch “pillar-ization” model of civil society. Private development aid was shaped by various ideologies that also shaped any other sector outside the market and government sector. Ideology, most often religious ideology, was the dominant source of corporate identity. The discussion in this chapter presents the Cordaid merger as a management effort to keep up with the triumph of the market ideology, popular in the last quarter of the twentieth century, while simultaneously keeping up with the tradition of pillarization.
Cristianismo y sociedad, 1990
Anthropology Southern Africa, 2006
In the Western Cape a system has emerged in recent years where informal groupings of poor people ... more In the Western Cape a system has emerged in recent years where informal groupings of poor people make a living by recycling waste material in exchange for cash. There are several dynamic interfaces in this process and this short study highlights the relationships between the different actors—from the poor people who make a living by collecting waste through to the needs of the formal recycling organisation which increases its turnover and efficiency by accommodating informal collectors. The study explores the organising processes and cultural meaning systems that have emerged as the recycling activity has evolved and adapted to the needs of the various actors. It considers both local and macro contexts situating the recycling activity in the social reality of poverty and lack of formal employment opportunities. Essentially the study focuses on the underside of organisational life those adaptive but sometimes hidden and unofficial arrangements by which things get accomplished or ignored. Looking through the lens of symbols (words deeds and objects) the observer becomes aware of issues of identity (the positions of the players) culture (the rules of the play) and power (their playing strength). The observation of daily organisational work processes in which the stories find their roots offers the opportunity for unexpected insights into what happens in ‘a world of waste’
Routledge eBooks, Nov 23, 2004
Anthropology Southern Africa, 2011
South African higher education is going through a transitional phase of transformation in which e... more South African higher education is going through a transitional phase of transformation in which existing cultures and identities are strongly contested. The ambiguity and insecurity that come along with such a process are demonstrated in this article through presentation of two rival ‘narratives of change’ that can be found packed into a number of reports concerning the merger of universities that now form the North West University. Following Victor Turner's vocabulary, this transitional phase of social, political, and organisational restructuring is labelled a social drama. This is because the changes in the higher education sector starting in 2004 have meant a breach in the normative order at various higher education institutions, a breach that has caused feelings of insecurity and crisis which the South African government has tried to deal with through a series of redressive actions. The different narratives dealing with the particular institutional transformation, the outcome of which is North West University, are a clear demonstration of what Turner refers to as the liminal and indeterminate aspects of social drama.
Journal of Contemporary Religion, 2007
South Africa’s post–apartheid governments have taken far–reaching policy measures to transform th... more South Africa’s post–apartheid governments have taken far–reaching policy measures to transform the system of higher education, do away with its strongly segregated character, and develop an efficient and internationally recognised system that provides equal chances for all ethnic groups. Since 2002 higher education has become the explicit target of a government policy, geared to cultural development and intervention, including the enforcement of a series of mergers between traditionally white and black universities and former technikons (currently universities of technology). This process has caused intense debate at the level of leadership and among policy makers in these institutions, but little is known of how this ideological battle over educational development has affected daily academic practice. This paper gives a first, somewhat tentative discussion on the current effects of the changes in higher education in South Africa, and in particular at one of the institutions affecte...
La invesiigaci6n en la cual se basa este articulo, se llev6 a cab0 en Arequipa, P e d , en el aii... more La invesiigaci6n en la cual se basa este articulo, se llev6 a cab0 en Arequipa, P e d , en el aiio 1987. Fue posible gracias a una beca de la Fundaci6n Neerlandesa para el Fomento de Investigaciones Tropicales (WOTRO). Los nombres de 10s barrios, las congregaciones, 10s templos. y la gente han sido cambiados. Agradezco a Rosa Dierna por la correcci6n del castellano.
Journal of Public Administration and Governance, 2018
This paper tries to give a preliminary theoretical and methodological answer to a rather complex ... more This paper tries to give a preliminary theoretical and methodological answer to a rather complex question: how can we explain the diffusion of an organizational change initiative, inspired by New Public Management (NPM) against the background of the organizational context in which it is supposed to be implemented? The need of such an answer is demonstrated by an analysis of 281 NPM studies, which shows that NPM researchers often produce only abstract or fragmented analyses of the content of both context and change initiatives, and hardly address the question what exactly is to be changed in reality. Our argument is that we should develop an approach that starts from the workplace reality as interpreted by the organizational actors, which may help to fundamentally rethink the way in which NPM initiatives can be implemented successfully. To this end, we present a Cognitive Cultural (CC) approach. We show what results can be obtained by means of a CC research method, by presenting the ...
Managing Boundaries in Organizations, 2003
This chapter presents a detailed study of a merging process of three Dutch Catholic organizations... more This chapter presents a detailed study of a merging process of three Dutch Catholic organizations providing development aid. It is a story of how the deconstruction of boundaries between organizations provokes the reinvention of boundaries between different groups of people within the new organization. This story is put in the context of a society in which ideological boundaries between population groups gradually become less visible, but nevertheless continue to be a pervasive organizing principle. I therefore put Cordaid - the name of the new merger organization - in the context of the peculiarities of this Dutch “pillar-ization” model of civil society. Private development aid was shaped by various ideologies that also shaped any other sector outside the market and government sector. Ideology, most often religious ideology, was the dominant source of corporate identity. The discussion in this chapter presents the Cordaid merger as a management effort to keep up with the triumph of the market ideology, popular in the last quarter of the twentieth century, while simultaneously keeping up with the tradition of pillarization.
Anthropology Southern Africa, 2011
South African higher education is going through a transitional phase of transformation in which e... more South African higher education is going through a transitional phase of transformation in which existing cultures and identities are strongly contested. The ambiguity and insecurity that come along with such a process are demonstrated in this article through presentation of two rival ‘narratives of change’ that can be found packed into a number of reports concerning the merger of universities that now form the North West University. Following Victor Turner's vocabulary, this transitional phase of social, political, and organisational restructuring is labelled a social drama. This is because the changes in the higher education sector starting in 2004 have meant a breach in the normative order at various higher education institutions, a breach that has caused feelings of insecurity and crisis which the South African government has tried to deal with through a series of redressive actions. The different narratives dealing with the particular institutional transformation, the outcome of which is North West University, are a clear demonstration of what Turner refers to as the liminal and indeterminate aspects of social drama.
Anthropology Southern Africa, 2006
In the Western Cape a system has emerged in recent years where informal groupings of poor people ... more In the Western Cape a system has emerged in recent years where informal groupings of poor people make a living by recycling waste material in exchange for cash. There are several dynamic interfaces in this process and this short study highlights the relationships between the different actors—from the poor people who make a living by collecting waste through to the needs of the formal recycling organisation which increases its turnover and efficiency by accommodating informal collectors. The study explores the organising processes and cultural meaning systems that have emerged as the recycling activity has evolved and adapted to the needs of the various actors. It considers both local and macro contexts situating the recycling activity in the social reality of poverty and lack of formal employment opportunities. Essentially the study focuses on the underside of organisational life those adaptive but sometimes hidden and unofficial arrangements by which things get accomplished or ignored. Looking through the lens of symbols (words deeds and objects) the observer becomes aware of issues of identity (the positions of the players) culture (the rules of the play) and power (their playing strength). The observation of daily organisational work processes in which the stories find their roots offers the opportunity for unexpected insights into what happens in ‘a world of waste’
Peer review declaration The publisher (AOSIS) endorses the South African 'National Scholarly Book... more Peer review declaration The publisher (AOSIS) endorses the South African 'National Scholarly Book Publishers Forum Best Practice for Peer Review of Scholarly Books.' The manuscript was subjected to rigorous two-step peer review prior to publication, with the identities of the reviewers not revealed to the author(s). The reviewers were independent of the publisher and/or authors in question. The reviewers commented positively on the scholarly merits of the manuscript and recommended that the manuscript be published. Where the reviewers recommended revision and/or improvements to the manuscript, the authors responded adequately to such recommendations. Research Justification This edited volume reveals how the journey of transformation at the University of the Free State (UFS) became interwoven with student leadership development and global learning. The UFS initiated two intersecting co-curricular programmes, namely: the First-Year Leadership for Change (F1L4C) programme in 2010; and the triennial Global Leadership Summit (GLS) in 2012. Although these programmes changed over time, their core focus remained the development of transformational student leaders through the creation of global learning spaces. From its inception in 2010 to the last GLS in 2018, the UFS global learning project involved 780 students and 259 staff members from 109 institutions, across four continents.
DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), Mar 1, 1990
La invesiigaci6n en la cual se basa este articulo, se llev6 a cab0 en Arequipa, P e d , en el aii... more La invesiigaci6n en la cual se basa este articulo, se llev6 a cab0 en Arequipa, P e d , en el aiio 1987. Fue posible gracias a una beca de la Fundaci6n Neerlandesa para el Fomento de Investigaciones Tropicales (WOTRO). Los nombres de 10s barrios, las congregaciones, 10s templos. y la gente han sido cambiados. Agradezco a Rosa Dierna por la correcci6n del castellano.
This chapter presents a detailed study of a merging process of three Dutch Catholic organizations... more This chapter presents a detailed study of a merging process of three Dutch Catholic organizations providing development aid. It is a story of how the deconstruction of boundaries between organizations provokes the reinvention of boundaries between different groups of people within the new organization. This story is put in the context of a society in which ideological boundaries between population groups gradually become less visible, but nevertheless continue to be a pervasive organizing principle. I therefore put Cordaid - the name of the new merger organization - in the context of the peculiarities of this Dutch “pillar-ization” model of civil society. Private development aid was shaped by various ideologies that also shaped any other sector outside the market and government sector. Ideology, most often religious ideology, was the dominant source of corporate identity. The discussion in this chapter presents the Cordaid merger as a management effort to keep up with the triumph of the market ideology, popular in the last quarter of the twentieth century, while simultaneously keeping up with the tradition of pillarization.
Cristianismo y sociedad, 1990
Anthropology Southern Africa, 2006
In the Western Cape a system has emerged in recent years where informal groupings of poor people ... more In the Western Cape a system has emerged in recent years where informal groupings of poor people make a living by recycling waste material in exchange for cash. There are several dynamic interfaces in this process and this short study highlights the relationships between the different actors—from the poor people who make a living by collecting waste through to the needs of the formal recycling organisation which increases its turnover and efficiency by accommodating informal collectors. The study explores the organising processes and cultural meaning systems that have emerged as the recycling activity has evolved and adapted to the needs of the various actors. It considers both local and macro contexts situating the recycling activity in the social reality of poverty and lack of formal employment opportunities. Essentially the study focuses on the underside of organisational life those adaptive but sometimes hidden and unofficial arrangements by which things get accomplished or ignored. Looking through the lens of symbols (words deeds and objects) the observer becomes aware of issues of identity (the positions of the players) culture (the rules of the play) and power (their playing strength). The observation of daily organisational work processes in which the stories find their roots offers the opportunity for unexpected insights into what happens in ‘a world of waste’
Routledge eBooks, Nov 23, 2004
Anthropology Southern Africa, 2011
South African higher education is going through a transitional phase of transformation in which e... more South African higher education is going through a transitional phase of transformation in which existing cultures and identities are strongly contested. The ambiguity and insecurity that come along with such a process are demonstrated in this article through presentation of two rival ‘narratives of change’ that can be found packed into a number of reports concerning the merger of universities that now form the North West University. Following Victor Turner's vocabulary, this transitional phase of social, political, and organisational restructuring is labelled a social drama. This is because the changes in the higher education sector starting in 2004 have meant a breach in the normative order at various higher education institutions, a breach that has caused feelings of insecurity and crisis which the South African government has tried to deal with through a series of redressive actions. The different narratives dealing with the particular institutional transformation, the outcome of which is North West University, are a clear demonstration of what Turner refers to as the liminal and indeterminate aspects of social drama.
Journal of Contemporary Religion, 2007
South Africa’s post–apartheid governments have taken far–reaching policy measures to transform th... more South Africa’s post–apartheid governments have taken far–reaching policy measures to transform the system of higher education, do away with its strongly segregated character, and develop an efficient and internationally recognised system that provides equal chances for all ethnic groups. Since 2002 higher education has become the explicit target of a government policy, geared to cultural development and intervention, including the enforcement of a series of mergers between traditionally white and black universities and former technikons (currently universities of technology). This process has caused intense debate at the level of leadership and among policy makers in these institutions, but little is known of how this ideological battle over educational development has affected daily academic practice. This paper gives a first, somewhat tentative discussion on the current effects of the changes in higher education in South Africa, and in particular at one of the institutions affecte...
La invesiigaci6n en la cual se basa este articulo, se llev6 a cab0 en Arequipa, P e d , en el aii... more La invesiigaci6n en la cual se basa este articulo, se llev6 a cab0 en Arequipa, P e d , en el aiio 1987. Fue posible gracias a una beca de la Fundaci6n Neerlandesa para el Fomento de Investigaciones Tropicales (WOTRO). Los nombres de 10s barrios, las congregaciones, 10s templos. y la gente han sido cambiados. Agradezco a Rosa Dierna por la correcci6n del castellano.
Journal of Public Administration and Governance, 2018
This paper tries to give a preliminary theoretical and methodological answer to a rather complex ... more This paper tries to give a preliminary theoretical and methodological answer to a rather complex question: how can we explain the diffusion of an organizational change initiative, inspired by New Public Management (NPM) against the background of the organizational context in which it is supposed to be implemented? The need of such an answer is demonstrated by an analysis of 281 NPM studies, which shows that NPM researchers often produce only abstract or fragmented analyses of the content of both context and change initiatives, and hardly address the question what exactly is to be changed in reality. Our argument is that we should develop an approach that starts from the workplace reality as interpreted by the organizational actors, which may help to fundamentally rethink the way in which NPM initiatives can be implemented successfully. To this end, we present a Cognitive Cultural (CC) approach. We show what results can be obtained by means of a CC research method, by presenting the ...
Managing Boundaries in Organizations, 2003
This chapter presents a detailed study of a merging process of three Dutch Catholic organizations... more This chapter presents a detailed study of a merging process of three Dutch Catholic organizations providing development aid. It is a story of how the deconstruction of boundaries between organizations provokes the reinvention of boundaries between different groups of people within the new organization. This story is put in the context of a society in which ideological boundaries between population groups gradually become less visible, but nevertheless continue to be a pervasive organizing principle. I therefore put Cordaid - the name of the new merger organization - in the context of the peculiarities of this Dutch “pillar-ization” model of civil society. Private development aid was shaped by various ideologies that also shaped any other sector outside the market and government sector. Ideology, most often religious ideology, was the dominant source of corporate identity. The discussion in this chapter presents the Cordaid merger as a management effort to keep up with the triumph of the market ideology, popular in the last quarter of the twentieth century, while simultaneously keeping up with the tradition of pillarization.
Anthropology Southern Africa, 2011
South African higher education is going through a transitional phase of transformation in which e... more South African higher education is going through a transitional phase of transformation in which existing cultures and identities are strongly contested. The ambiguity and insecurity that come along with such a process are demonstrated in this article through presentation of two rival ‘narratives of change’ that can be found packed into a number of reports concerning the merger of universities that now form the North West University. Following Victor Turner's vocabulary, this transitional phase of social, political, and organisational restructuring is labelled a social drama. This is because the changes in the higher education sector starting in 2004 have meant a breach in the normative order at various higher education institutions, a breach that has caused feelings of insecurity and crisis which the South African government has tried to deal with through a series of redressive actions. The different narratives dealing with the particular institutional transformation, the outcome of which is North West University, are a clear demonstration of what Turner refers to as the liminal and indeterminate aspects of social drama.
Anthropology Southern Africa, 2006
In the Western Cape a system has emerged in recent years where informal groupings of poor people ... more In the Western Cape a system has emerged in recent years where informal groupings of poor people make a living by recycling waste material in exchange for cash. There are several dynamic interfaces in this process and this short study highlights the relationships between the different actors—from the poor people who make a living by collecting waste through to the needs of the formal recycling organisation which increases its turnover and efficiency by accommodating informal collectors. The study explores the organising processes and cultural meaning systems that have emerged as the recycling activity has evolved and adapted to the needs of the various actors. It considers both local and macro contexts situating the recycling activity in the social reality of poverty and lack of formal employment opportunities. Essentially the study focuses on the underside of organisational life those adaptive but sometimes hidden and unofficial arrangements by which things get accomplished or ignored. Looking through the lens of symbols (words deeds and objects) the observer becomes aware of issues of identity (the positions of the players) culture (the rules of the play) and power (their playing strength). The observation of daily organisational work processes in which the stories find their roots offers the opportunity for unexpected insights into what happens in ‘a world of waste’
Peer review declaration The publisher (AOSIS) endorses the South African 'National Scholarly Book... more Peer review declaration The publisher (AOSIS) endorses the South African 'National Scholarly Book Publishers Forum Best Practice for Peer Review of Scholarly Books.' The manuscript was subjected to rigorous two-step peer review prior to publication, with the identities of the reviewers not revealed to the author(s). The reviewers were independent of the publisher and/or authors in question. The reviewers commented positively on the scholarly merits of the manuscript and recommended that the manuscript be published. Where the reviewers recommended revision and/or improvements to the manuscript, the authors responded adequately to such recommendations. Research Justification This edited volume reveals how the journey of transformation at the University of the Free State (UFS) became interwoven with student leadership development and global learning. The UFS initiated two intersecting co-curricular programmes, namely: the First-Year Leadership for Change (F1L4C) programme in 2010; and the triennial Global Leadership Summit (GLS) in 2012. Although these programmes changed over time, their core focus remained the development of transformational student leaders through the creation of global learning spaces. From its inception in 2010 to the last GLS in 2018, the UFS global learning project involved 780 students and 259 staff members from 109 institutions, across four continents.