Taket, Ann with Leroy White, "Beyond Solution: A Re-Presentation for the "New Times"", 1994
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Many commentators have pointed to changesin organizational practices and structures, with moves from hierarchy andcentralization to decentralization and more democracy. There is an increasedemphasis on local action and self-organization, rather than steep verticalstructures. This paper responds to the challenge of looking at the relevance ofthe theory and practice of problem solving methodologies in this changingcontext. Within the framework provided by postmodernist and poststructuralistideas, we draw on our work in the domain of community operational research(COR), working with a variety of groups in the voluntary sector. The voluntarysector is particularly relevant as it exemplifies the characteristics of the“new times”, with democratic and self-organizing groups, many of which operateat very local level.