Page 75 - Sustainable Cities and Communities Design Handbook

52 Sustainable Cities and Communities Design Handbook

nothing represents true or false, but only versions that are more or less
commonsensible and exhibit their own logic.
Through interaction the actors have constructed a moving picture of the
experiential space. This contains not only their orientation toward and relation
to well-known actors (customers, suppliers, agents, competitors) but also
moving pictures of less known actors (other firms, other competitors, public
authorities, and institutions). There are happenings in the world that are not
directly connected with the actors, but which they may notice and relate
themselves to their interpretation space and with which they may be con-
fronted in an interaction (such as the reconstruction of USSR, The Gulf War,
the situation in the former Yugoslavia, among others).
The experiential space that one has chosen and formed does not directly
influence actions and senses. However, when the experiential space exists, it
works as a possible guide for actions and interpretations. Thus a newly created
experiential space is a historical document, formed as knowledge. An
important characteristic is therefore that the experiential space is a social
construction. It is through interpretation that the actors create a moving picture
of the experiential space and from this act and interact.
The discussion so far is the basis for understanding organizational changes
and activities. Through the discussion of action, knowledge, and interaction,
and its consequences (i.e., organizing, the organizational paradigm and
experiential space) we can begin to understand all about what is the “firm” and
how it changes.

Constituting of the Organizational Activities and of the “Firm”

If we relate this to organizing and intersubjectivity, Fig. 3.1 can be presented.
The idea is to illustrate that the actors’ knowledge and actions should be seen
in relation to interaction and intersubjectivity in their everyday of life.
Actions and knowledge are to be understood in relation to the interaction
processes by the actors. The experiential space is what the actors interpret as
their situation, market, and surroundings, understood in relation to situations in
which the actors interact with their product. However, the experiential space is

Organizing Paradigm
Knowledge Knowledge
Interaction process
Action Action
Experiential space - Construction

Interpretation space
FIGURE 3.1 The organizational context in organizational activities and development.