Rack BQ — Postmodern and Critical Theories

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Rack BQ (Postmodern & Critical Theories): Critical Management Studies | Postmodernist Organization Theory | Labor Process Theory | Feminist Organization Theory | Postcolonial Organization Theory

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What are Postmodern and Critical Management Studies and Why are They Important?

Critical and postmodern perspectives in organization studies have emerged as significant theoretical streams that challenge traditional assumptions and explore the complexities of power, identity, and meaning within organizations. These perspectives emphasize the importance of context, discourse, and the fluidity of organizational realities. These perspectives have encouraged researchers to use methods like ethnography and discourse analysis (see Rack AF) that can reveal power relations and lived experiences in organizations. They have also promoted reflexivity in research, encouraging scholars to examine how their own positions and assumptions affect their understanding of organizations.

The philosophical origins of these approaches can be traced to several key intellectual movements. The so-called Frankfurt School of Critical Theory, established in the 1930s, provided crucial foundations. Scholars like Max Horkheimer, Theodor Adorno, and later Jürgen Habermas developed a critique of instrumental rationality and showed how seemingly objective knowledge often serves particular social interests. Their work helped management scholars understand how organizational practices that appear rational and efficient often mask forms of domination and control. French post-structuralist thinkers, particularly Michel Foucault and Jacques Derrida, provided another crucial intellectual foundation. Foucault’s analysis of power/knowledge relationships showed how knowledge and expertise are intimately connected to power relations. This insight has been particularly influential in studying how management knowledge and practices shape organizational reality. For example, contemporary researchers examine how human resource practices like performance reviews not only measure but actually construct what one might adjudge to be “good performance” (Celikates & Flynn, 2023). These philosophical foundations influenced organizational studies in several waves. In the 1980s, scholars began applying critical and postmodern perspectives to question fundamental assumptions in management theory.

For instance, Gibson Burrell and Gareth Morgan’s (1979) book Sociological Paradigms and Organisational Analysis showed how different philosophical assumptions lead to radically different ways of understanding organizations. Whereas at the time the dominant sociological paradigms were functionalist and interpretive, the authors presented the emerging alternative paradigms of radical humanism and radical structuralism. These in turn contribute to analytical frameworks based on, respectively: (a) anti-organization or conceptions of work, life, and society without extant formal structures of organization and control, and (b) radical organization theory that preserves the ideas of organization but significant alters its design to one that focuses away from managerial definitions of organizing toward ones that better enable and avoid exploitation of the members.

Postmodern perspectives also highlight how knowledge is generally situated and partial rather than universal and objective. This has led to research on how different groups in organizations have different ways of knowing and how power relations affect what counts as valid knowledge. For example, scholars of epistemic coloniality argue that western (which is to say, European or American) philosophies have dominated academia to the exclusion of other ways of knowing (see Episode 70 on Eduardo Ibarra-Colado). Related are feminist perspectives, where researchers are examining how gendering in organizations reproduce various forms of inequality and exclusion that influence how we think about organizational change and resistance (see Episodes 17 on Rosabeth Moss-Kanter and 99 on Joan Acker among others). Rather than seeing resistance as something to be overcome or suppressed, researchers have theorized more nuanced constructs of resistance and ambivalence that helps explain when and how resistance can be productive.

The methodological influence of these perspectives is also important. Researchers increasingly use methods like discourse analysis, ethnography, and narrative analysis to understand how meaning and power operate, reveal aspects of organizational life that might be missed by more traditional approaches.

Some Leading Postmodern and Critical Theories & Concepts

Based on the above, there are some challenges with differentiating perspectives that are primarily critical or postmodern perspectives as opposed to being mere extensions of other literature streams. What these represent, however, are works that view organizations as political systems where power relations shape outcomes vice merely technical systems for achieving goals efficiently. These theories also show that while organizational knowledge and practices may appear neutral, they can serve particular interests and thereby perpetuate inequalities. As a result, these concepts have opened up new possibilities for thinking about alternative forms of organizing that, at least in those authors’ eyes, might be more democratic and equitable.

As with other resources on this site, the below is not intended to be a comprehensive or complete set of theories, but at least to represent a foundational set of literature streams that one should begin with to appreciate postmodern and critical organization studies.

Critical Management Studies (CMS). CMS was developed by scholars like Mats Alvesson (Episode 28 and 32) and Hugh Willmott (Episode 30), who examine the various ways that power relations and domination manifest in organizational settings. CMS scholars argue that conventional management theories often naturalize and legitimize organizational practices that maintain inequality and suppress alternative ways of organizing. For example, they show how seemingly neutral management techniques like performance measurement systems can reinforce existing power structures and marginalize certain groups of workers. This perspective is important because it helps us understand how organizational practices that appear objective and rational often serve particular interests and perpetuate social inequalities.

Postmodern Organization Theory. This stream includes scholars like Robert Cooper and the aforementioned Gibson Burrell who further clarify and contrast the differences between modernist and postmodernist views of organization. Cooper & Burrell (1988) argues that the modernist model view organizations as “social tools” and “extensions of human rationalism,” whereas the postmodernist model acknowledges organizations as more reactive and defensive toward internal and external stimuli rather than the expressions of planned thought. This perspective criticizes traditional approaches to analysis as putting “the answer before the question,” in that investigation into organizations effectively presumes that formal organization is given as a good thing, which in turn “censors” the informal rather than recognizing its true role in how organizations actually function, in other words the culture that organizations actually enact vice what they espouse (see Rack BH).

Labor Process Theory. Developed from Harry Braverman’s (1974) work and formalized by scholars such as David Knights and Hugh Willmott (1990), this stream examines how management control systems affect workers’ experiences and resistance. This perspective shows how various management techniques, from scientific management to contemporary digital surveillance, are fundamentally about controlling labor and extracting value from workers. This understanding is crucial because it reveals the political nature of seemingly technical management practices and helps explain workplace conflict and resistance.

Feminist Organization Theory. Advanced by scholars like Joan Acker (see Episode 99) and Marta Calás (Calás & Smircich, 2014), this stream examines how organizations are gendered institutions that often reproduce gender inequalities. They show how organizational structures and practices that appear gender-neutral actually embody masculine values and disadvantage women. For example, they demonstrate how ideas about the “ideal worker” often assume a male life pattern without family responsibilities, thus perpetuating organizational practices that contribute to gender inequality. Scholars in this literature stream strive to identify and promote ways to create more equitable organizations.

Post-colonial Organization Theory. This stream follows the work of scholars like Anshuman Prasad (2003) and Subhabrata Bobby Banerjee (2009), examines how colonial power relations continue to shape contemporary organizations and management knowledge. They show how management theories and practices often reflect Western assumptions and marginalize other ways of knowing and organizing, helping explain how global power relations affect organizational life and encouraging alternative organizational forms and knowledge systems.

Contemporary Research Areas

Naturally, many of the above literature streams have been furthered, so we will first present some of the more novel or emergent theories. This is not to be considered an exhaustive list, but it represents newer directions.

Queer Theory. Queer theory emerged in the late 1980s and early 1990s at the intersection of several intellectual and social movements. It drew heavily from post-structuralist theory, particularly Michel Foucault’s (1976) work on sexuality and power, and from feminist theory’s critiques of gender. The AIDS crisis and LGBT activism of the 1980s also played a crucial role in shaping queer theory’s development, as scholars and activists sought new ways to understand and challenge dominant ideas about sexuality and gender. This perspective challenges normative identities and categories within organizational contexts and emphasizes accommodation of the fluidity of gender and sexuality (Dixon, 2017). By interrogating the binary notions of identity that often dominate organizational discourse, queer theory opens up new avenues for understanding how organizational cultures can be more inclusive and representative of diverse identities.

Postmodernism and Organizational Change. Scholars argue that postmodern theories challenge traditional notions of linear change processes, advocating for a more nuanced understanding of change as a complex and often chaotic phenomenon (Smith et al., 2020). This perspective encourages researchers to consider the role of power, politics, and social constructions in shaping organizational change initiatives, thereby providing a more comprehensive framework for understanding how organizations adapt to their environments.

Digitization. The roles of technology and digital transformation in shaping organizational practices is a contemporary research area that intersects with postmodern and critical theories (also see Rack CD). Scholars are exploring how digital technologies influence organizational structures, communication, and identity, often critiquing the implications of technology for power dynamics and employee experiences within organizations.

Postcolonial Perspectives. Scholars are showing interest in applying non-Western organizational theories and practices, advocating for a more inclusive understanding of organizational dynamics that transcends Western-centric narratives (e.g., Mir & Mir, 2012). This area of research emphasizes the need to recognize and value diverse cultural contexts and practices, thereby enriching the theoretical landscape of organizational studies. By integrating postcolonial critiques, scholars can better understand how power dynamics operate within global organizations and the implications for marginalized communities.

Critical management studies (CMS). have emerged as a vital area of research that interrogates the underlying assumptions and ideologies of management practices. Alvesson and Willmott (2011), for example, emphasizes the need to question the dominant paradigms of management and to explore alternative approaches that prioritize social justice and ethical considerations. This research often critiques the commodification of labor and the impact of managerial practices on employee well-being, advocating for a more humane approach to organizational management.

Organizational Identity and Identification. The exploration of organizational identity and identification through a postmodern lens is another contemporary research area. Scholars are looking into how organizational identity is constructed and negotiated within complex social contexts and studying the relational aspects of identity formation (He & Brown, 2013). The research is suggesting that organizational identity is not so much a fixed attribute but rather a fluid construct shaped by ongoing interactions and discourses within and outside the organization.

Postmodern Views of Narratives and Organizational Culture. This area of postmodern research underscores the application of language and discourse toward constructing organizational identities and realities. Scholars in this area seek to challenge the notion of objective truth in organizational narratives. The roles of narrative and discourse in shaping organizational realities has gained traction in postmodern organization studies. Researchers are investigating how narrative structures influence the evolution of management thought and are providing evidence of the importance of storytelling in organizational contexts (e.g., Weatherbee & Durepos, 2022). Researchers are likewise interested in how organizational culture is constructed, maintained, and transformed in response to changing social dynamics. This area of research emphasizes the fluidity of culture and the role of power relations in shaping cultural practices within organizations, challenging the notion of a monolithic organizational culture.

Corporate Sustainability. Also see Rack CS. The intersection of organizational studies with environmental sustainability is gaining traction. Some researchers are interested in how organizations can integrate sustainability practices into their operations while considering the complexities of their social and environmental contexts. This research often draws on critical and postmodern theories to challenge traditional notions of organizational success and to advocate for a more holistic approach to organizational performance that includes social and environmental dimensions.

Related TAOP Episodes, Events, and Notes

99: Gendering in Organizations — Joan Acker

Joan Acker’s 1990 article “Hierarchies, Jobs, Bodies: A Theory of Gendered Organizations” was a significant work in feminist theories of organizations. She charged that prior feminist research had wrongly assumed that organizational structures were gender neutral. Instead, everything about organizations from structures to symbols are inherently gendered, and until that was acknowledged and studied, organizations would continue to reinforce long-standing gender inequalities. The article is significant for its synthesis of a growing body of research that questioned the claims of gender neutrality in organizational practices that creates and sustains barriers to women’s equality in the workplace.
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70: Epistemic Coloniality in Latin America – Eduardo Ibarra-Colado

We now continue the effort to expand the canon of organization theory and management science, this time focusing on Latin America. Worldwide, much of the theorizing and publishing of research has been greatly influenced by a dominant mode of thought originating in western Europe, the U.S., and Canada. Eduardo Ibarra-Colado, whose famous 2006 work “Organization studies and epistemic coloniality in Latin America: thinking otherness from the margins” represents a manifesto and call to action by all scholars to consider how the current paradigm severely disadvantages scholarship in Latin America.
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53: Taylorism in Motion — Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times

We discuss Charlie Chaplin’s 1936 film “Modern Times” balances great physical comedy with powerful social commentary. Chaplin portrayed a hapless Worker on an assembly line who is tormented both by supervisors and the work itself. After being subjected to a humiliating experiment intended to improve the line’s efficiency, the Worker runs through a series of rotating jobs, stints in jail, and other misadventures as he tries to find his purpose in life.
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32: Organizational Stupidity with Mats Alvesson and Bjorn Erik Mork LIVE

“Functional stupidity” is the term used by Alvesson and Spicer to describe a strange phenomenon they observed in practice: smart people in organizations that do seemingly not smart things because people are discouraged to think and reflect. Mats Alvesson and Bjørn Erik Mørk sit down with Ralph to talk about functional stupidity and real world implications for nearly an hour after Mats’ keynote speech at the conference.
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30: Corporate Culturalism — Hugh Willmott

Hugh Willmott Strength is Ignorance; Slavery is Freedom: Managing Culture in Modern Organizations was Hugh Willmott’s critique of corporate culturalism, a dominant theme in management studies in the 1980s. In 1993, when the paper appeared in the Journal of Management Studies, strengthening corporate culture was seen as a way to improve organizational performance. But instead of an academic response, Willmott used George Orwell’s classic dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four to explain his objections.
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28: Organizations as Rhetoric — Mats Alvesson

Our next episode in the JMS classics series covers Mats Alvesson’s “, Organizations as Rhetoric: Knowledge-Intensive Firms and the Struggle with Ambiguity” from 1993 that concluded with the idea that organizations are best understood as ‘systems of persuasion’ where actors use their agency to engage in discourse on behalf of the organization.
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Available Resource Pages

Rack BC — Contingency Theory

Curated list of resources regarding the major theories regarding the organizational context and how particular situations influence organizational structures, behaviors, and so on. Includes classic contingency theories and pragmatism.
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Rack BI — Institution Theory

Curated list of resources on theories related to strategic management, including competitive forces models, resource-based perspectives, and organizational strategies and strategic change
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Rack BL — Leadership Theories

Curated list of resources on theories related to leadership in organizations including classic trait theory, behavioral theories of leadership, and transactional / transformational leadership
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References

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Acker, J. (1990). Hierarchies, jobs, bodies: A theory of gendered organizations. Gender & society, 4(2), 139-158.

Alvesson, M. (1993). Organizations as Rhetoric: Knowledge-Intensive Firms and the Struggle with Ambiguity. Journal of Management Studies, 30, 997–1015.

Alvesson, M., & Spicer, A. (2012). A stupidity‐based theory of organizations. Journal of management studies, 49(7), 1194-1220.

Alvesson, M., & Willmott, H. (2011). Critical management studies. SAGE Library in Business and Management, 1.

Anthropic. (2024). Please explain more about the origins of postmodern and critical theories and how they influence contemporary research today; What is the history of queer theory and what are contemporary areas of research in it. Claude (March 2024 version) [Large Language Model].

Banerjee, S. B., Chio, V. C., & Mir, R. (Eds.). (2009). Organizations, markets and imperial formations: Towards an anthropology of globalization. Edward Elgar Publishing.

Braverman, H. (1998/1974). Labor and monopoly capital: The degradation of work in the Twentieth century. Monthly Review Press, New York.

Burrell, G. & Morgan, G. (1979). Sociological paradigms and organisational analysis. Farnham, England: Ashgate.

Calás, M.B. & Smircich, L. (2014). “Engendering the Organizational: Organization Studies and Feminist Theorizing.” In P. S. Adler, P. du Gay, G. Morgan & M. Reed (Eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Sociology, Social Theory and Organization Studies: Contemporary Currents, pp. 605-659. London: Oxford University Press.

Celikates, R. & Flynn, J. (2023, December 12). Critical theory. Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/critical-theory/

Cooper, R., & Burrell, G. (1988). Modernism, Postmodernism and Organizational Analysis: An Introduction. Organization Studies, 9(1), 91-112. https://doi.org/10.1177/017084068800900112

Dixon, J. (2017). Queer approaches. The International Encyclopedia of Organizational Communication, 1-7.

Foucault, M. (1978/1976). The history of sexuality. Four volumes. Pantheon.

He, H. and Brown, A. (2013). Organizational identity and organizational identification. Group & Organization Management, 38(1), 3-35. https://doi.org/10.1177/1059601112473815

Ibarra-Colado, E. (2006). Organization studies and epistemic coloniality in Latin America: thinking otherness from the margins. Organization, 13(4), 463-488.

Kanter, R. M. (1977). Some effects of proportions on group life: Skewed sex ratios and responses to token women. American Journal of Sociology, 965-990.

Knights, D., & Willmott, H. (Eds.). (2016/1990). Labour process theory. Springer.

Marshall, P. (Director). (1992). A league of their own [Film]. Parkway Productions.

Mir, R. and Mir, A. (2012). The colony writes back: organization as an early champion of non-western organizational theory. Organization, 20(1), 91-101. https://doi.org/10.1177/1350508412461003

Prasad, A. (2003). Postcolonial theory and organizational analysis: A critical engagement. Springer.

Scite. (2024). What are the major theoretical streams in critical and postmodern perspectives of organization studies; What are the major contemporary areas of research in postmodern and critical organization studies. Scite (April 2024 version) [Large Language Model].

Smith, A. C., Skinner, J., & Read, D. (2020). Introduction: changing philosophies. In Philosophies of Organizational Change (pp. 1-27). Edward Elgar Publishing.

Weatherbee, T. and Durepos, G. (2022). the evolution of management thought: reflections on narrative structure. Journal of Management History, 29(1), 29-45. https://doi.org/10.1108/jmh-07-2022-0030

Willmott, H. (1993), Strength is ignorance; Slavery is freedom: Managing culture in modern organizations. Journal of Management Studies, 30: 515–552

The inclusion of external links and resources does not necessarily constitute endorsement by TAOP or any of its members.

Jump to: Importance | Theories | Research Areas | TAOP Episodes | References

Rack BQ (Postmodern & Critical Theories): Critical Management Studies | Postmodernist Organization Theory | Labor Process Theory | Feminist Organization Theory | Postcolonial Organization Theory

Aisle B (Major Theories): Classical Theories (BA) | Org. Behavior – Individual (BB1) | Org. Behavior – Groups & Teams (BB2) | Org. Behavior – Systems & Culture (BB3) | Contingency Theories (BC) | Org. Design (BD) | Org. Development & Change (BG) | Human Relations Theories (BH) | Institution Theories (BI) | Leadership Theories (BL) | Modern Management Perspectives (BM) | Postmodern & Critical Theories (BQ)

Resources: Main Page | Research Methods (A) | Major Theories (B) | Issues and Contemporary Topics (C) | Professional Education (D)