Translational Mobilisation Theory

Translational mobilisation theory is a sociological theory designed to describe and explain emergent organisation wherever this is found. While healthcare is a classic example of the challenges of organisation in complex and turbulent environments, emergent organisation forms can be found in other sectors. We lack readily available theoretical frameworks for understanding these organisational processes. Translational Mobilisation Theory builds on the study of nursing work to develop a generic sociological theory of emergent organisation. 

The three components of Translational Mobilisation Theory

There are three core components of Translational Mobilisation Theory. The ‘project’ is the primary unit of analysis; it provides a frame for understanding the relationships in a trajectory of care. The ‘strategic action field’ defines the contexts in which projects (trajectories) are mobilised and which furnish the resources (structures, organising logics, interpretative repertoires, materials and technologies) through which action is organised and managed. ‘Mechanisms’ direct attention to how projects of collective action are mobilised. These include: object formation (how actors construct the focus of their activity); translation (how these different understandings are shared and differing viewpoints accommodated); reflexive monitoring (how actors maintain project awareness); articulation work (how the different elements in a project are aligned to support action and decision making); and sense making (how actors comprehend and create order in work).