Misogyny and Organization Studies

Abstract

Misogyny is a significant but unspoken presence in organization studies, in terms of people’s experiences of work and as a theorized concept. In this essay we argue that our community should dare to name misogyny for its unique insight into the enduring patriarchal power relations that condition so many organizations and so much of our organization theory. We develop this argument in two ways: first, we suggest that misogyny provides a unique descriptive linguistic label for experiences of gendered hatred, violence and social policing; and second, a philosophical understanding of misogyny enables analysis and understanding of, as well as challenges to, the physical or symbolic violence that many experience in and around organizations as sites for the reproduction of patriarchy. Drawing on recent developments in feminist analytic philosophy, we follow the movement away from understanding misogyny-as-individual-emotion to misogyny-as-affective-practice. This allows us to frame two related concepts, organized and organizational misogyny, demonstrating the potential that misogyny brings to understanding individual experiences, collective affect and influential social forces. Despite the discomfort produced by hate-based concepts such as misogyny, we conclude that their exclusion from organization studies has two effects: the continuing reproduction of violent hostility, and acceptance of a partial account of multiple forms of oppression and inequality. Our research agenda, founded on this need for naming such experiences, the significance of affect and aggregated oppressions, demonstrates the potential contribution of misogyny to addressing these issues and finding some hope for change.

Gender and work relations: a new research agenda

“…Our call for a fresh perspective on gender and work relations was prompted by Fotaki and Harding's (2018) probing question: is our field of knowledge inherently misogynistic? Consequently, we echo McCarthy and Taylor's (2024) observation that feminist (Bell et al, 2020), black or decolonial (Dar et al, 2021), and queer (Rumens et al, 2019) experiences, theories, and knowledge are often overlooked or erased. This pattern suggests a deliberate exclusion of uncomfortable aspects of organizational dynamics or perspectives that challenge the mainstream within our academic community.…”