Between authenticity and conformism: ideological tension as a lever for change in Business School

  • François Grima
Keywords: Critical Management Scholars, tempered radicals

Abstract

The present article aims to explore how strategies to manage the ideological tension experienced by Critical Management Scholars (CMSars) in Business Schools can lead to changes in the way the School is run. We firstly attempt to identify the nature of such changes and, secondly, the factors which facilitate or impede them. We use the theoretical framework of tempered radicals in a survey involving semi-directive interviews with 17 CMSars from French Business Schools. Our study identifies two positions, the oppositional and the activist, which are adopted by CMSars in their relationship with their Business School. The first position leads the CMSars to more or less distressing marginalisation, with little impact apart from a few individual cases. In the second scenario, the CMSars acquire relative autonomy, which enables them to wield a degree of influence in the way their School is run both at individual and collective level. Our findings indicate that the oppositional position is based on the defensive use of a limited number of resources. On the other hand, the activist position is underpinned by a complex attempt at persuasion, which brings into play relational, academic and institutional resources, without which the task is much more difficult.

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Published
2011-12-01
How to Cite
Grima F. (2011). Between authenticity and conformism: ideological tension as a lever for change in Business School. M@n@gement, 14(5), 311-350. Retrieved from https://management-aims.com/index.php/mgmt/article/view/4045
Section
Original Research Articles