This article explores the influence of avant-garde composer John Cage (1912–1992) on organizational studies, proposing that his work provides a rich source for understanding organizational theory. Cage’s concepts – such as indeterminacy, silence, process orientation, experimentation, active involvement, and feedback – offer alternative methods for studying organizations, indicating that the sources of organizational knowledge can extend beyond economics and management to incorporate ancient disciplines like music and philosophy. Rather than metaphorically applying musical principles, the article directly examines how Cage’s aesthetic principles that guide both his music compositions and his conference lectures can serve as a foundation for organizational dynamics. By treating sound and silence as organizational tools, Cage’s work encourages a shift from traditional structures toward embracing indeterminacy and uncertainty within organizations. In doing so, it highlights that the organizational dimension lacks any predetermined objective but rather happens. Concluding with an “open mic” view of organizational theory, the study advocates for a broader, more experimental approach to organizational knowledge and emphasizes an evolving, responsive practice that mirrors Cage’s own innovative legacy.

This article begins with a reflective account of George Kelly’s profound influence on the authors’ thinking and practice, aligning closely with the central theme of this collection. We illustrate the personal impact of Kelly’s ideas, demonstrating how his work not only reshapes the theore tical approaches of researchers but also profoundly influences their personal development. This starting point for the paper introduces readers to Kelly’s theory by grounding it in lived experience while highlighting its broader implications for understanding human sensemaking and behavior.
Next, drawing on Kelly’s biography and his Personal Construct Theory (PCT), the article examines his contributions to understanding sensemaking through a systematic and epistemological lens. Kelly’s PCT does not merely offer a theory but provides a comprehensive framework for inquiry – one that bridges qualitative and quantitative methodologies and emphasizes the dynamic interplay between constructs, validation, and identity. Kelly’s epistemology redefines knowledge creation as an iterative, construct­driven process of sensemaking.
This article underscores the transformative potential of Personal Construct Psychology (PCP) for applications in counselling, coaching, and organizational contexts. In conclusion, we offer Kelly’s legacy as a bridge between theory and practice, enabling a richer understanding of both personal and organizational dynamics.

David Boje’s influence on management and organization has been innovative and inspirational. His critical postmodern storytelling breathes life into the field, transforming complex theories into vibrant, dynamic explorations. However, this article is primarily a story of mentorship, from the personal to the field level. David’s kind and gently assertive mentorship has inspired students and colleagues to push boundaries, think critically, and develop a scientific field while advocating for social justice and practical solutions to real-world problems.

Cultivating a dystopian imagination cannot be made from within the paradigmatic science of organization theory, hereafter paradigm. The source of the doom cultivation has to originate from the outside and be allowed inside as a basic premise. Otherwise, the clash between the premises of the paradigm and nature cannot be overcome. In this article, I position myself as an anti-essen-tialist, arguing that the world needs to be redescribed time and again (Czarniawska, 2001). Impor-tantly, there needs to be richness among the redescription attempts. To achieve richness in stories about the world, the pragmatist philosopher Richard Rorty had hope in the ironists (Rorty, 1989). In this essay, I even put my hope in the ironists who are misfits, outcasts, and drunkards, and use the documentary “To Stay Alive” and the musician Miland “Mille” Petrozza as case in point.

Rooted in symbolic anthropology, Lluís Duch’s anthropological framework explores humanity’s mediated relationship with culture and reality. This text reflects on Duch’s intellectual legacy, emphasizing his key concepts, including mediation, ambiguity, and hosting structures, to illuminate human experiences, such as illness. Drawing from personal accounts and interdisciplinary critiques, the text addresses Duch’s contributions and their application in health anthropology, highlighting areas like symbolism and relationality. The text also offers recommendations for dialogue with global anthropologies, ethnographic methods, and the extension of Duch’s ideas to gender and non-human symbolic realms.