The contribution of event-sequence analysis to the study of organizational routines

In this chapter I suggest a detailed methodological approach to unpack the structure and evolution of routines. The approach is based on the performative aspect of routines, i.e., on an interpretation of routines as actual performances by specific people, at specific times, in specific places . By systematically mapping and comparing several “performances” of the same routine over time—operationalized as recurring sequences of actions—the evolution of the routine can be reliably traced. Optimal matching analysis (OMA) offers the algorithms which enable to perform this complex analytical task in a relatively parsimonious way. This approach to the study of routines has been already applied in sociology to the investigation of musicians’ careers and the formation of professions, and in organizational studies to address processes of information systems implementation and work processes.