Postcritical Management Studies

This book is the first of its kind to offer a new definition of contemporary management. It uses Henrys philosophy and takes the real, sensitive and pathetic subjectivity of individuals as the starting point of the analysis as opposed to the usual large categories of representations; resources; images; and discourses. This book thus proposes to rethink management by insisting on the dialectic of strength and vulnerability; its power of constraint, imitation and imagination; and finally its framework of action situated in a fourfold concern for the self, for people, for institutions and for the environment. These different notions are useful in order to experience a deeper understanding of management that is free from the obsolescence of the distant recommendations of ancient protomanagement and the outdated and dubious prescriptions of the so-called scientific management.

Ideal as an introduction and as a quick reference, Key Concepts in Critical Management Studies explores the essential concepts used within the field today. Specially edited and written by a range of international experts, key ideas are succinctly explained and illustrated beyond a simple definition. Further reading suggestions and cross-referencing provide the reader with means to develop their knowledge further. With over 50 entries, from Actor Network Theory to Utopianism, readers have instant access and explanation of the most influential concepts in CMS literature.

'Critical Management Studies', or 'CMS', describes a diverse group of work that has adopted a critical or questioning approach to the traditional concerns of Management Studies, and the growing interest in CMS has produced a vibrant and exciting body of research. Christopher Grey and Hugh Willmott, leading authorities in this area, introduce seventeen readings which reflect these developments, and show CMS' importance. As an assessment of CMS, the Reader will be of interest to academics, researchers, and students of Management Studies. As an introduction to CMS, it will prove invaluable to stu.

Irrespective of whether one thinks of philosophy explicitly, each organizational researcher is a philosopher. A philosophical position is predicated on a variety of approaches relating to ontology, epistemology, methodology, ethics, and political positions. Depending on where one stands with regard to these philosophical building blocks, their orientation may be characterized as positivist, realist, critical-realist, and constructivist, with pragmatist and political considerations weighing in as well. Also, management theories all inhabit the same spectrum of philosophical positions that enrich them and add to their relevance to the world of firms and organizations. This book provides a broad-based commentary on the terrain of philosophy as it pertains to management studies, especially for the relatively unfamiliar organizational theorist. This book serves as a succinct overview of the field of management philosophy as well as a roadmap for those readers who wish to explore the terrain further. The book argues that all knowledge inquiry invokes philosophy and philosophical thinking, and that the artificial separation between philosophy and social science is fallacious. Just as philosophy is everywhere, so is power, and for better or worse they go hand in hand. Hence, philosophical positions are political positions. The authors do not shy from addressing the politics of their own research practice or the subjects of their inquiry. Philosophy and Management Studies targets a new generation of management researchers, whose interest in philosophy vastly exceeds their resources to engage with it, partly because of their unfamiliarity with its often mystifying and outsider-unfriendly conventions. It seeks to bridge the chasm between interest in philosophy in organizational studies and knowledge about it. It is not for the trained philosopher or the expert, but for a relative newcomer.

Critical Management Studies (CMS) has emerged as a movement that questions the authority and relevance of mainstream thinking and practice. Critical of established social practices and institutional arrangements, it challenges prevailing systems of domination and promotes the development of alternatives to them. CMS draws upon diverse critical traditions. Of particular importance for its initial articulation was the thinking of members of the Frankfurt School of Critical Theory. From these foundations, CMS has grown into a pluralistic and inclusive movement incorporating a diverse range of perspectives - ranging from labour process theory to radical feminism. In recent times, a set of ideas broadly labelled 'poststructuralist' have been developed to complement and challenge the insights of Critical Theory, giving new impetus for scholars seeking to challenge the status quo and articulate a more inclusive and humane future for management practice. The Oxford Handbook of Critical Management Studies provides an overview of theoretical approaches, key topics, issues, and subject specialisms in management studies, as well as a set of reflections on the progress and prospects of CMS. Contributors are all specialists in the respective fields and share a concern to interrogate and challenge received wisdom about management theory and practice. Given the rapid growth of the CMS movement, its ever increasing theoretical and geographical diversity and its outreach into the public sphere, The Oxford Handbook of Critical Management Studies is a timely publication. In addition to UK contributors, where CMS has developed most rapidly, there is strong representation from North American contributors as well as from areas where CMS has taken hold more recently, such as Australasia.

The scholarly field of Critical Management Studies (CMS) is in a state of flux. Against a backdrop of dramatic global shifts, CMS scholarship has lately taken a number of new and exciting directions and, at times, challenged older critical voices. Novel theoretical frameworks and diverse research interests mark the CMS field as never before. Interrogating conventional critiques of management and arguing for fresh approaches, The Routledge Companion to Critical Management Studies captures this intellectual ferment and new spirit of inquiry within CMS, and showcases the pluralistic generation of CMS scholars that has emerged in recent years. Setting the scene for a crucial period for the discipline, this insightful volume covers new ground and essential areas grouped under the following themes: Critique and its (dis-)contents Difference, otherness, marginality Knowledge at the crossroads History and discourse Global predicaments. Drawing on the expertise of an international team of contributing scholars, The Routledge Companion to Critical Management Studies is a rich resource and the perfect reference tool for students and researchers of management and organization.

Drawing on a range of influential contemporary movements in the social sciences, particularly Critical Theory, this volume introduces a critical analysis for the study of management and the various management functions. The book examines: the relations between power and discursive practices in the modern corporation; the construction of pleasure as a potentially subversive and emancipatory force in organizational life; the double-edged role of a critical social science for managers; and doing critical management research. It also analyzes the nature and consequences of current practices in accounting, operational research, marketing, personnel and organizational psychology and information systems. Key issues of power//knowl

Critical Concepts in Management and Organization Studies provides an accessible introduction to the key themes of critical management studies. An ideal companion for students studying critical management and organizations, it breaks down the complex language, concepts and philosophical underpinnings defining critical management studies.