While current global ecological, social and cultural challenges and the role of organizations therein call for involvement of critical management studies, critical scholars have been divided over how to engage with organizational practice and practitioners. In order to move this issue forward, the purpose of this paper is to propose a new approach to critical analysis in the form of the method of normative reconstruction of the Frankfurt social philosopher Axel Honneth. Toward that purpose, the basic tenets of this method of normative reconstruction are discussed and empirically illustrated through two cases, while the paper ends with conclusions and discussion.

For centuries, universities have proliferated and flourished around the world, playing an important role in societal knowledge production and diffusion. However, in the past four decades, this old organizational form has been subjected to neoliberal, managerialist policy doctrines such as New Public Management. Following this, universities have tended to become more 'business-like' in their internal management and governance, with generally perceived adverse effects on the quality of academic education, research, and working conditions. These developments pose fundamental threats to academic freedom and free knowledge production and diffusion. Acknowledging various forms of academic resistance to, and coping with, these threats, the purpose of our paper is twofold. First, we adopt the concept of 'performativity' - hitherto researched mainly in primary and secondary schools in Anglo-Saxon contexts - to account for, and critique, neoliberal university policies, and practices in a variety of Global North settings. Second, through collaborative autoethnography, we add our own personal narratives to 'talk back' to managerialism.

This article reconceptualizes Lean (management) from a concept that is instrumental to managers to a concept that develops through its relations with other (human) actors. Lean is not a guided process of implementation; rather, Lean transforms through network dynamics into forms that are not predefined. Using a case study from a public sector organization, the authors show that translation is not a linear implementation process and does not result in one stable Lean. Instead, it results in many different (sometimes temporal) 'local' Leans. The article contributes to theorizing about Lean, as well as to success factors in making Lean work in practice.

PurposeExtensive research has been conducted on cross-cultural comparisons between Eastern and Western organizational cultures in major trading domains. However, there is a lack of examination of intra-comparative management nuances within Asian regions. This research paper focuses on the under-explored topic of the values, beliefs, and attitudes (VBAs) that influence the outcomes of East Asian (e.g. Japan) marketing strategies and operations when implemented in South Asian (e.g. India) markets and organizational contexts. The study aims to analyze the impact of VBAs on marketing effectiveness and provide insights for marketers in cross-cultural settings. The article analyzes the customer satisfaction orientation (CSO) of Japanese business executives and draws insights that offer lessons related to cultural VBAs for overall marketing strategy and foreign investors.Methodology/approachThe paper employs a social constructivist paradigm and gathers empirical research through multiple interviews. These facilitate novel and normally rare access and insights into Japanese business leaders' lived experience of CSO in B2B Indian intercultural situations.FindingsInterpretivist data analysis reveals several push-pull factors that influence CSO practice. The research identifies shared values such as long-termism and harmony that have the potential to boost CSO as a marketing strategy in India.Research implicationsThe paper develops a conceptualization of cultural VBAs that lead to successful CSO practice in India and is of relevance to foreign investors.Practical implicationsThis study suggests that East Asian marketers should carefully consider the impact of VBAs on their marketing strategies. Our research sheds light on the ongoing discussion on static versus evolving nature of culture and highlights the need to pay attention to cultural change, particularly congruence and confluence in workplace values.OriginalityThe intercultural study contributes to the literature on international marketing strategy by highlighting the nature and importance of understanding traditional and evolving cultural VBAs for appreciating receptivity to adoption and thereby efficacy of home country marketing strategy.

In the past decade, the concept of recognition appears to have acquired an important theoretical position in the work and organization literature. While in principle recognition denotes a positive and social form of freedom, in current-day organizations recognition may be often negative or instrumental. In order to capture this ambivalence in organizational recognitive conditions, the recent work of the American philosopher Judith Butler appears particularly applicable. The purpose of this paper is to explore theoretically to what extent her views on recognition shed new light on the variety of recognition patterns in current-day organizations. Towards that purpose, this paper first turns to the ‘master-slave’ episode in the work of Hegel and its influential interpretation by Kojève, which are at the heart of Butler’s reading and conception of recognition. As a second step, the ambivalent conception of recognition in the work of Butler is discussed and critically assessed, while in the final section this conception is extended to work and organizations.

AbstractThe psychological demands of the military profession have been a focal point of reflection in military studies, yet not from the perspective of organizational science. This chapter explores the relevance of the systems psychodynamic perspective for the military organization. It discusses historical examples to reflect on the differences between armed forces that sustained both a form of social psychological integration and operational effectiveness and those that did not. Subsequently, it focuses on contemporary missions and considers how their characteristic structural configurations influence the ability of operators to deal with the psychological demands of such missions. In doing so, it considers the relationship between structural features of military organizations and the means available to operators for dealing with the psychological demands intrinsic to their profession.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to contribute to a more pragmatic critical management studies (CMS), by exploring the emancipatory intent of organizational (re)design concepts and ideas from the modern sociotechnical approach integral organizational renewal (IOR). Design/methodology/approach This paper is of a conceptual nature in that it engages with relevant literature from the fields of CMS and IOR, guided by a focused conceptualization of emancipation from CMS literature. Findings It is found that although IOR can to a large extent be considered as an emancipatory project, it contains a number of dangers which jeopardize its emancipatory potential. Complemented with other sociotechnical approaches and ideas, however, it appears that IOR could make some valuable contributions to a pragmatic CMS. Originality/value This paper is unique in engaging in an exchange of ideas between CMS and IOR. By doing so, it contributes, first, to the debate on a more pragmatic CMS; second, to the dialogue between CMS and “mainstream” organization science; third, to the field of organizational (re)design.

The rise of the platform economy in the past two decades (and neoliberal capitalist expansion and crises more in general), have on the whole negatively affected working conditions, leading to growing concerns about the "human side" of organizations. To address these concerns, the purpose of this paper is to apply Axel Honneth's recognition theory and method of normative reconstruction to working conditions in the platform economy. The paper concludes that the ways in which platform organizations function constitutes a normative paradox, promising flexibility and autonomy while at the same time creating working conditions that undercut these promises. The paper ends with a critical discussion of Honneth's approach, possible supplementing ideas and further lines of future research.

This paper examines bi-cultural talent in relation to human resource management (HRM) practices in cross-cultural merger and acquisitions (M&A). The intersection of HRM, bi-cultural talent management and cross-cultural M&A literature proposes a conceptual framework to capture the complexity of bi-cultural talent management and reveals the dominant macro-characterization of the extant HRM literature focussing on a more micro-orientated perspective. The paper develops a matrix by underlining spatial dimensions (spanning micro-aspects of the individual employee through to the macro-entity of firm and its location in the macro-national cultural context) and temporal dimensions (consisting of pre-merger, during merger and post-merger phases). This provides a template which examines the multi-level dynamics of bi-cultural talent management. The argument identifies ways in which extant cross-cultural lenses require deeper understanding of bi-cultural talent management in M&A settings. Future research directions and agendas are identified.

In dit artikel staat de ontwikkeling en performativiteit van Lean centraal. Onderzoek uit de management accounting en control (MAC)-literatuur laat zien wat een MAC-systeem (zoals bijvoorbeeld de balanced scorecard (BSC)) bewerkstelligt als organisaties een dergelijk systeem invoeren. Daarentegen is soortgelijk onderzoek naar een organisatieconcept als Lean schaars, waardoor we een beperkt beeld hebben van wat er zich tijdens een implementatie van Lean afspeelt en wat Lean binnen een organisatie teweegbrengt. Door gebruikmaking van theoretische inzichten uit de MAC-literatuur op een praktijkcase, toont dit artikel aan dat Lean zelf ook een actieve speler in een netwerk is. Dat wil zeggen dat Lean niet alleen rationeel in te zetten instrument is dat ten dienste staat van een besluitvormer, maar mede invloed uitoefent omdat het relaties aangaat en interacteert. Het biedt managers en organisatieadviseurs (practici) inzichten in hoe zij een Lean-implementatie anders kunnen begeleiden.

In deze studie bestuderen we de inpassing van Lean en beschrijven we wat er tijdens een vertaal- of inpassingsproces (ofwel 'translatie') van Lean bij een Nederlandse overheidsorganisatie gebeurt. 'Lean' wordt als een 'slanke' ofwel kostenbesparende en efficiënte handelswijze gezien. We analyseerden een Lean-inpassingsproces aan de hand van een Actor-Netwerk Theoretische analyse (ANT), die vier momenten van translatie onderkent: problematiseren, interesseren, toetreden en mobiliseren. Door praktijkinformatie uit deze casus te plaatsen in de translatiemomenten, zien we dat het Lean-inpassingsproces niet lineair en sequentieel verloopt. Deze ANT-beschrijving laat zien hoe zich rondom Lean een netwerk vormt, hoe Lean vormgeeft aan het netwerk, Lean zelf van vorm verandert, het Lean-netwerk uiteenvalt en hoe alsnog kleine en naast elkaar bestaande Lean-netwerken binnen één organisatie ontstaan.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide insight in how military expeditionary task forces cope with the dual challenge of organizing and learning, by reflecting on the experiences of Dutch expeditionary task forces in post-conflict missions in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan. Design/methodology/approach This paper reflects on the outcomes of a research project into the experiences of operators of different specific expeditionary task forces of the Dutch Armed Forces in dealing with everyday problems in their working environment. The case studies were based on interviews with military personnel of all ranks and focused on relating the process of making sense of environmental dynamics to characteristics of the organizational context. Findings The case studies indicate that designing and learning become intertwined in the realities of everyday problem-solving in the more complex missions. As task forces are essentially tailor-made for the purpose of specific missions, units initially need to be selected. Subsequently, the design of the task force needs to be adapted to suit local conditions. This challenge interrelates with the everyday challenge for operators of making sense of their environment and finding pragmatic solutions for the everyday problems they are confronted with. In pragmatically solving everyday problems, operators in the cases engaged in working out incomplete or ill-fitting aspects of the task force design. Practical implications The findings are relevant for military task forces and more in general for organizations that are confronted with dynamically complex environments that rely on temporary structures. Originality/value Existing literatures on learning and on organizing generally treat these as two related but essentially separate phenomena. In the expeditionary military task forces, operators that aimed to develop pragmatic solutions to everyday problems, the processes of learning and organizing became intertwined: units needed to organize to learn and to learn to organize. The paper ends by suggesting a combination of specific circumstances that influences the nature of the interrelation between these processes.

This special issue assembles eight papers which provide insights into the working lives of early career to more senior academics, from several different countries. The first common theme which emerges is around the predominance of ‘targets’, enacting aspects of quantification and the ideal of perfect control and fabrication. The second theme is about the ensuing precarious evocation of ‘terror’ impacting on mental well-being, albeit enacted in diverse ways. Furthermore, several papers highlight a particular type of response, beyond complicity to ‘take freedom back’ (the third theme). This freedom is used to assert an emerging parallel form of resistance over time, from overt, planned, institutional collective representation towards more informal, post-recognition forms of collaborative, covert, counter spaces (both virtually and physically). Such resistance is underpinned by a collective care, generosity and embrace of vulnerability, whereby a reflexive collegiality is enacted. We feel that these emergent practices should encourage senior management, including vice-chancellors, to rethink performative practices. Situating the papers in the context of the current coronavirus crisis, they point towards new forms of seeing and organising which open up, rather than close down, academic freedom to unleash collaborative emancipatory power so as to contribute to the public and ecological good.

Like its twin concept organizational learning, the concept of learning organization is characterized by many different approaches and perspectives. While many of these approaches outline in some detail the organizational conditions considered beneficial for learning, the specific nature of that learning is often less precisely defined. The purpose of this chapter is to review three main approaches to the learning organization and focus on their conceptualizations of learning. By tracing the genealogy of these conceptualizations in the broader learning literature, common antecedents can be found mainly in the work of Argyris and Schön and to some degree in the work of Revans.

Like many public sector organizations, in the past decades the Dutch judiciary has come to adopt New Public Management (NPM) practices and processes. In this article, we analyze this adoption from a management and organizational control perspective. Using data from a large survey among Dutch judges, we see a mismatch between the nature of the NPM-inspired management control systems and the work-related experiences of the judges and inquire into the consequences thereof for judicial work and organization.

De zorg in Nederland wordt geconfronteerd met een steeds groter en fijnmaziger geheel aan vooral kwantitatieve management control-methoden en -technieken. In dit essay staat de vraag centraal of en in welke mate deze methoden en technieken passen (of ‘matchen’) bij de aard van de activiteiten in de zorgsector. Daartoe wordt de specifieke zorgmaatregel van dubbele medicatiecontrole onder de loep genomen. Tenslotte wordt gereflecteerd op de redenen waarom deze kwantitatieve vormen van control worden gehandhaafd (in weerwil van een duidelijke ‘mismatch’) met behulp van het begrip ‘performativiteit’.

Purpose - This paper aims to challenge the alleged gender-neutral character of Argyris and Schon's theory of organizational learning (1978). While theories in organizational science seem gender neutral at the surface, a closer analysis reveals they are often based on men's experiences. Design/methodology/approach - This paper uses the method of gender subtext analysis, centering on gendering and its interaction with gender, class and race. Findings - The dichotomous learning scheme of Argyris and Schon, in which a limited learning approach with alleged masculine values and interaction styles is opposed to an ideal learning approach with feminine values and interaction styles, is related to Bendl's subtexts of feminization and of unconscious exclusion and neglect in organizational theories. To overcome the binary character of the theory, a gradient and contextualized approach to organizational learning is proposed. Originality/value - This paper is the first to apply gender subtext analysis to theories of organizational learning and, thus, to analyze their gender subtext.