Xule Lin 林徐乐

I explore how humans and algorithms are writing the next chapter of organizing together.

My Journey:

• Building theory at Imperial College Business School as a PhD researcher
• Grounded my thinking through experiences at University of Notre Dame, University of Chicago, and Ernst & Young
• Now investigating the moment when algorithms step from tools to participants in organizational life

Working Theory of Organizing:

• The nature of organizing transforms as algorithms join decision-making
  • Algorithms shift from tools that augment to agents that participate
  • Current organizational theories struggle to capture this evolution
  • Novel forms emerge from social-technical system interactions
• Understanding requires both depth and breadth
  • Qualitative immersion reveals organizing’s lived reality
  • Computational analysis surfaces patterns across contexts
  • This methodological synthesis builds stronger theory
• Timeless principles inform digital futures
  • Core coordination mechanisms transcend technological cycles
  • Shared understanding enables genuine decentralization
  • Traditional wisdom offers lessons for algorithmic age

Current Investigations:

• Decoding DAOs as organizational laboratories
  • Watching communities write new rules for coordinating
  • Tracking the evolution of governance mechanisms
  • Mapping how code and culture interweave
• Learning from traditional craft
  • Studying tailors who coordinate through shared understanding
  • Understanding how expertise flows without formal structure
  • Finding echoes of ancient wisdom in modern challenges
• Building better research tools
  • Weaving together ethnographic insight and computational analysis
  • Teaching machines to help us see organizational patterns
  • Creating methods that honor both detail and scale

Knowledge Commons:

• Curated X (Twitter) Lists for Fellow Explorers
  • Management Research: A living map of our field’s conversations
  • Research on DAOs: Where technology meets organizing
  • AI Research: Tracking intelligence, artificial and otherwise
• Tools for Thinking
  • MaCAW: Writing academic ideas in the digital age
  • Research tools collection: Craft tools for scholarly work
  • Shared notes on the art of research

Let’s Connect:

• Academic profile - Current projects and collaborations
• Twitter/X - Join ongoing conversations about organizing in the algorithmic age

I’m always eager to engage with fellow researchers and practitioners exploring the evolving dialogue between human wisdom and algorithmic capabilities in shaping tomorrow’s organizations.