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K urt L ewin's Field Theory: A Review and Re‐evaluation
Author(s) -
Burnes Bernard,
Cooke Bill
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
international journal of management reviews
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.475
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1468-2370
pISSN - 1460-8545
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-2370.2012.00348.x
Subject(s) - rigour , relevance (law) , field (mathematics) , gestalt psychology , topology (electrical circuits) , epistemology , sociology , political science , philosophy , mathematics , law , pure mathematics , combinatorics , perception
Field theory was central to K urt L ewin's work yet, after his death, interest in it declined significantly until the 1990s when a variant, force field analysis, became widely used. This paper examines the origins, purpose and continuing relevance of field theory. It especially looks at the influences of gestalt psychology, topology and E rnst C assirer's philosophy of science on its development. It argues that L ewin's attempt to replace conventional topology with his own L ewinian mathematics‐based topology in pursuit of scientific rigour resulted in the undermining of its relevance. The paper also compares force field analysis with L ewin's original conception of field theory and shows that it has significant weaknesses in terms of rigour. It concludes that a return to L ewin's original conception of field theory, based on gestalt psychology and conventional topology, can provide academics and practitioners with a valuable and much‐needed approach to managing change.