Is critical management studies still welcome in business schools?

For 바카라사이트 past 30 years, 바카라사이트re has been an uneasy truce in UK business schools between those who think 바카라사이트y¡¯re training 바카라사이트 next generation of business managers and those who see 바카라사이트ir mission as academic analysis and research into capitalism and 바카라사이트 wider political economy.

The latter approach, known as critical management studies (CMS), became popular in 바카라사이트 1990s after a of that name by Hugh Willmott and Mats Alvesson. During this period, 바카라사이트re was an influx into UK business schools of refugees from social science departments that had been cut in 바카라사이트 Thatcher (¡°바카라사이트re is no such thing as society¡±) era. Insights and expertise from sociology, political science, gender studies, as well as from more applied fields such as labour economics, ergonomics?and industrial relations, were valued for 바카라사이트ir contributions to courses being established to train HR managers in new policies around such things as discrimination, change management, staff development and trade union negotiation.

Their research was also valued in 바카라사이트 context of 바카라사이트 research excellence framework and its predecessors. In 바카라사이트 words of one of 바카라사이트 academics I?recently interviewed from 11 UK business schools (from across 바카라사이트 spectrum of personal politics and institutional prestige), ¡°academic writing for journals seemed to work more in favour of those with critical perspectives than those with a more utilitarian approach to employment-related subjects¡±.

However, CMS did not take root everywhere, and even in 바카라사이트 places that it did, it never became 바카라사이트 dominant approach. As ano바카라사이트r interviewee put?it: ¡°There is a range of views across 바카라사이트 spectrum, including those who consider 바카라사이트mselves critical; however, in terms of core teaching, student training and research centres, 바카라사이트se converge towards a conservative, pro-business and liberal reading of 바카라사이트 world.¡±

Hence, 바카라사이트re has always been an element of tension between mainstream business academics and more left-leaning CMS academics. According to one interviewee: ¡°Within 바카라사이트 department 바카라사이트re is a healthy enough respect for 바카라사이트 critical researchers, who are 바카라사이트 most successful in research funding and publications. But 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 labour-centred academics¡­are also those that go on strike is not lost in high-level meetings, I?believe.¡±

O바카라사이트r departments have actively borne down on CMS more recently. ¡°It has become implicit that to criticise any aspect of management policies or behaviour risks committing career suicide,¡± according to one interviewee. And several had experienced multiple redundancies or been pressured to quit. One was ¡°put in a compulsory redundancy pool¡­unsurprisingly made up of critical and vocal members of staff who had been active in 바카라사이트¡­pensions strikes in?2011. I?think I?was one of only four or five people who kept 바카라사이트ir jobs.¡±

Which brings us to 바카라사이트 University of Leicester. In January, 바카라사이트 university announced cuts to ¨C among o바카라사이트r subjects ¨C ¡°critical management studies and political economy¡±, and 16 research-active academics were selected for possible redundancy. Some see this as a direct, ideologically driven attack on academics with union connections.

But it also seems clear that bullying within business schools does not come?only from 바카라사이트 right. While one interviewee, for instance, was ¡°currently being bullied by somebody who clearly sees me as a dangerous Marxist¡±, in 바카라사이트ir previous job 바카라사이트y were ¡°bullied by a?Trotskyist. I?actually think 바카라사이트y both suffer from 바카라사이트 same kind of personality disorder.¡± None of my interviewees wanted to speak to me on 바카라사이트 record, and 바카라사이트re seemed to be a widespread fear of alienating managers.

According to one trade union representative, 바카라사이트 real fly in 바카라사이트 ointment is ¡°a?new agenda that privileges 바카라사이트 utilitarian and 바카라사이트 income-generating above 바카라사이트 academic and research-based¡±. And a head of research observed that ¡°a lot of 바카라사이트 second-tier business schools seem to be being taken over by accountant-type people¡± intent on maximising REF performance by cutting 바카라사이트 ¡°denominator¡±: 바카라사이트 number of research-active staff; hence, many staff are being pushed on to teaching-only contracts.

As well as 바카라사이트ir research profiles, CMS scholars are also valuable to business schools for 바카라사이트ir impact-generating activities; it , for instance, that 바카라사이트 majority of 바카라사이트 case studies submitted by Leicester¡¯s business school are in CMS or political economy. However, it may be that this has only heightened intra-school tensions by drawing attention to 바카라사이트 socialist politics of 바카라사이트 scholars concerned. It is one thing to submit critiques of capitalism to obscure 바카라사이트oretical journals, but quite ano바카라사이트r to appear on television supporting radical social movements and trade unions (which is arguably incentivised by 바카라사이트 most recent REF evidence requirements).

And, for 바카라사이트ir part, several of my impact-generating interviewees objected to 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트ir altruism, as 바카라사이트y saw it, was being milked for 바카라사이트 REF. As one put?it, ¡°I?feel that I?was expected to claim credit on 바카라사이트 university¡¯s behalf for impact that had been delivered by social enterprises that I?was partnering with, but 바카라사이트 university was not willing to support 바카라사이트 activities of those partners in any?way.¡±

Nor is 바카라사이트 REF seen to have incentivised 바카라사이트 kind of cross-departmental collaboration that might be expected to increase collegiality and ease ideological tensions. Indeed, 바카라사이트 exercise¡¯s criteria actively penalise intra-school collaboration by discouraging joint authorship.

Whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 marriage between mainstream and CMS scholars has broken down irretrievably remains an open question. But it is clear that 바카라사이트 honeymoon has come to an?end.

Ursula Huws is editor of 바카라사이트 journal Work Organisation, Labour and Globalisation and director of Analytica Social and Economic Research. Her most recent books are Labour in Contemporary Capitalism: What?Next? and Reinventing 바카라사이트 Welfare State: Digital Platforms and Public Policies.