Introduction to the special issue on “Critical reflections on management and organizations: a postcolonial perspective”

Banerjee, Subhabrata Bobby; Prasad, Anshuman

doi:10.1108/17422040810869963

Cited by 130 publications

(114 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…For example, it includes advertising power in spreading cultural commodities, management by dispossession [26,34,49], and abuse of monopoly statuses [4,48]. Corporations exercise political process and political influence through lobbying [50].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Institutional Voids and the Philanthropization of CSR Practices: Insights from Developing Economies

Ahen

Amankwah‐Amoah

2018

Sustainability

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Corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices and conceptions vary across sectors and nations. However, there is a general tendency among academics and practitioners to present CSR in Africa as activities characterized by philanthropy due to the existence of institutional voids. This review of the current literature demonstrates that weak institutions lead to weaker bargaining powers designed through the historical and geopolitical institutional frameworks of international business and global governance systems. Accordingly, multinational corporations (MNCs) take advantage of such weaknesses to define CSR on their own terms by replacing the ideal responsible and sustainable innovations with ad hoc philanthropy that diverts the attention from the negative consequences of neoliberal 'structures of accumulation'. This is akin to aid that hardly contributes to structural changes, but rather leads to complacency, corruption, dependency, boutique projects, disguised exploitation, and the misuse of corporate political power to achieve corporate bottom lines. The implications of the results are vast, and they are generalizable to all weaker institutional settings. Thus, weaker institutions create the necessary regulatory, political, economic, and governance climate that perpetuates a pattern of abuses and ethical violations that are then masked with philanthropy. It is argued that the fundamental institutional and geopolitical contexts within which MNCs interact with nation states cannot be ignored in any comprehensive analysis that seeks to meaningfully shed light on the comparative differences of CSR practices. The neglect of the web of contextual, historical, and geopolitical issues in which CSR is entrenched and framed diverts attention from the origins of the socio-economic and environmental questions to philanthropy as a final solution, which has hitherto been perpetuated with undesirable outcomes.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Institutional Voids and the Philanthropization of CSR Practices: Insights from Developing Economies

Ahen

Amankwah‐Amoah

2018

Sustainability

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“…In fact, feminism has much in common with postcolonialism as both traditions explore the struggle against oppression, injustice and objectification. Postcolonial theory radically critiques colonialism, imperialism and neo-colonialism (Banerjee & Prasad, 2008) and can help unveil neo-colonial assumptions that underpin cross cultural management and contemporary social arrangements. Postcolonial theory posits that Western colonialism is a significant aspect of social life given its geographical reach of approximately 85% of the world in the early to mid-Twentieth century (Said, 1978) and to this day influences western notions of gender dynamics (Spivak, 1987).…”

Section: The Postcolonial Feminism Lensmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unveiling the myth of the Muslim woman: a postcolonial critique

Golnaraghi

Mills²

2013

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal

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PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between neo‐colonialist discourse and Quebec's proposed Bill 94 aimed at restricting the public activities of niqab and veil‐wearing Muslim women.Design/methodology/approachDrawing upon postcolonial feminist frames, this study critically analyzes the discourses of Muslim women and Western elites that serve to construct the niqab and veil‐wearing Muslim women. Using critical discourse analysis of digital and print media articles from 1994 to 2010, the authors trace the discursive character of the Muslim woman related to Bill 94 which proposes the banning of religious face coverings when seeking public services in the Province of Quebec, Canada.FindingsThis paper develops a postcolonial understanding of the discursive conditions that constitute the social environment in which Muslim women are required to operate in Quebec and the advent of Bill 94. The authors contend that the discourses in the construction of Muslim women have mutated over time towards Western cultural hegemony and paternalism, and, in the process, Muslim women have been constructed as oppressed, in need of saving, and at the same time not to be trusted.Research limitations/implicationsThe account of events in this paper offer an alternative lens in privileging some of the embedded beliefs and values behind dominant cultural accounts of Quebec in relation to Muslim women and Bill 94. Future scholars may wish to extend this study through examining discourses of secular, veil and niqab‐wearing Muslim women; newcomers, those living in Canada for a longer period and those born in Canada; as well as those from different countries of origin. Another area of research that is ripe for exploration is workplace experiences of Muslim women in Canada. Additionally, examination of overt and subtle discrimination faced by Muslim women would provide important insights into employment equity and human rights.Originality/valueThis paper presents a close look at public discourses around the niqab and Muslim women in Canada, demonstrating the persistence of colonial dynamics and mindsets influencing how issues regarding minority groups are evaluated today.

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“…Critical management scholars, for instance, have fruitfully utilized postcolonial theory to challenge the hegemony of management and organization knowledge from the West and North (e.g. Banerjee and Prasad, 2008;Jack and Westwood, 2009;Jack et al, 2010;Prasad, 2003) and to demonstrate the ways in which African management and knowledge has been marginalized and made invisible as a result of colonialism and modernization projects (Nkomo, 2011). In essence, the central question in Jackson's article is whether postcolonial and dependency theories adequately account for this new geopolitical dynamic, especially in terms of a South-South relationship embedded within the historical anti-colonial relationship China has had with the continent, and China's Marxist-Leninist-Maoist political traditions.…”

Section: The Rise Of New Economic Powers and Its Challenge To Mokmentioning

confidence: 99%