This paper takes some of Melanie Klein's ideas, which Bion (1961/1998) previously used to understand group dynamics, to analyse the discipline of management studies since its 'birth'in the United States in the late 19th... more
This paper takes some of Melanie Klein's ideas, which Bion (1961/1998) previously used to understand group dynamics, to analyse the discipline of management studies since its 'birth'in the United States in the late 19th century. Specifically, it focuses on the idealisation of work and play, and argues that at its inception, for idiosyncratic historical reasons, the discipline was rooted in a 'paranoid-schizoid'position in which work was idealised as good and play as bad. The paper maps out the peculiar set of factors and influences that ...
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Marketing is contemplating its End, in at least two senses of the word (Brown 1993; Brownlie and Saren 1992, 1995). Ruminations on its demise are unsurprising, since crisis and images of death are primal parts of our attempt at making... more
Marketing is contemplating its End, in at least two senses of the word (Brown 1993; Brownlie and Saren 1992, 1995). Ruminations on its demise are unsurprising, since crisis and images of death are primal parts of our attempt at making sense of the world (Kermode 1967). Such apocalyptic visions occur with particular sharpness at fin de siècle times, not to mention towards the close of a millennium, which might explain the recent flurry of announcements of the End: of the world (Meadows et at. 1972); industrial society ( ...
In seeking to emphasise practical philosophy this volume follows in a long tradition of bridge building between theory and practice (or, alternatively, between philosophy and politics (Arendt 1990)). In this chapter, we argue that science... more
In seeking to emphasise practical philosophy this volume follows in a long tradition of bridge building between theory and practice (or, alternatively, between philosophy and politics (Arendt 1990)). In this chapter, we argue that science fiction can be a potent means of practicalising philosophy through its ability to link the abstraction of theory and the messiness of practice. Science fiction sheds light on theory by providing an idealtypical setting through which theory can be represented, clarified and developed. Conversely, it ...
In seeking to emphasise practical philosophy this volume follows in a long tradition of bridge building between theory and practice (or, alternatively, between philosophy and politics (Arendt 1990)). In this chapter, we argue that science... more
In seeking to emphasise practical philosophy this volume follows in a long tradition of bridge building between theory and practice (or, alternatively, between philosophy and politics (Arendt 1990)). In this chapter, we argue that science fiction can be a potent means of practicalising philosophy through its ability to link the abstraction of theory and the messiness of practice. Science fiction sheds light on theory by providing an idealtypical setting through which theory can be represented, clarified and developed. Conversely, it ...
This paper introduces a novel method for investigating the interfaces between art work and managerial work in the creative industries. The method, which we are calling dispraxis, seeks to transcend the traditional divisions between the... more
This paper introduces a novel method for investigating the interfaces between art work and managerial work in the creative industries. The method, which we are calling dispraxis, seeks to transcend the traditional divisions between the academic world and the world of practice. This particular dispraxis is a structured, iterative dialogue between an academic, a manager, and an artist on the themes identified in the call for papers. In this dispraxis the following four themes were elicited. The first theme centred on the explosion of management discourse into the creative industries. The second theme explored the difference between the creative industries and ‘normal’ business and introduced the metaphor of chelation to describe the primary need to manage and protect safe spaces for creativity to happen. The third theme was money and this theme explored how art is valued and funded, especially in a postmodern world where the notion of authenticity and Taste have been problematised. The fourth theme discussed how art is routinely identified as the highest expression of human achievement and yet is largely ignored in commercial discourse. One explanation for this is to consider artistic work as part of the abject. The metaphor of origami is used to gather together the various themes explored in the dispraxis.
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This article does not have an abstract.
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Ordering processes; Actor-network theory Management Management.
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‘Shock’ advertising is the new black and the subject of the reflection in which this article engages. We do this in particular through consideration of the (largely) British high-street fashion house French Connection’s seemingly endless... more
‘Shock’ advertising is the new black and the subject of the reflection in which this article engages. We do this in particular through consideration of the (largely) British high-street fashion house French Connection’s seemingly endless ‘FCUK’ campaign. The obvious resonance between this abbreviation and perhaps the most popular word in the English language was at the heart of the campaign’s appeal and it continues today through various extensions on both slogans and logos on French Connection’s own goods and indeed those who seek to piggy back upon and/or subvert its market power. It is far from the only example of such ‘shock’ tactics. Whether discussing reproduction in graphic detail with children, joyously dismantling chastity, or merely fucking with fuck, it seems that traditional mores can no longer remain virgin territory, unsullied by rapacious marketing. Our mediated experiences of reaching ‘extremes’, it now appears, are not paralysing, mesmerising, fascinating or inspiring but simply a further prod down the path leading to (gleeful) purchase. In this paper we explore how, via a series of semiotic reversals, the new, the strange, the unfamiliar and the would-be shocking are rendered banal, and thus thoroughly comprehensible through brand association and the endless re-iteration of existing works.
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Abstract Business strategy publications about decision-making have provided a large amount of information on decision-making relating to market share, competitive advantage, managing change and achieving quality. Nevertheless, little... more
Abstract Business strategy publications about decision-making have provided a large amount of information on decision-making relating to market share, competitive advantage, managing change and achieving quality. Nevertheless, little research has been carried out on strategic environmental management. Four in-depth case studies of environmental strategy formation and implementation in chemical/pharmaceutical companies in Ireland are presented here. A continuum describing the differing levels of strategic environmental ...
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Implementing intra-organisational projects is particularly critical because those most directly affected by the project’s outcome (namely the employees) can become resentful about the perceived impacts of the project. Employees can resist... more
Implementing intra-organisational projects is particularly critical because those most directly affected by the project’s outcome (namely the employees) can become resentful about the perceived impacts of the project. Employees can resist the process of change during the implementation phase thus making it difficult for project managers to accomplish their job. Managers of intra-organisational projects need tools that will help them to generate staff acceptance towards the project, so that project implementation may run more predictably. The tool EMS&Facilitator (facilitator skilled in electronic meeting support) offers an efficient means for developing shared understanding of the project at information meetings in the initial stages of the intra-organisational project.