Introduction to Deviance in a World of Standards
In this chapter, Andrea Fried and Besma Glaa develop and reason the important and topical question why organizations deviate from standards. The chapter reflects on the current discourse on standards and standardization in management and organization studies, and positions Understanding Deviance in a World of Standards within it. The chapter distinguishes the terms standards and standardization, defines what standards are, and explains which categories exist to distinguish them. It points out why investigation of the actual enactment of standards in organizations is fundamental to understanding not only the manipulation of but also the commitment to standards. The chapter concludes by introducing the structure of Understanding Deviance in a World of Standards.