The History Boys: Critical reflections on our contributions toManagement Learningand their ongoing implications

Abstract

In this reflective essay, written for the 50th anniversary of Management Learning, we look at the history of the journal from a unique vantage point, our interconnected, academic lived experience of publishing in the journal. Our aim is to undertake an historical review of our publications in Management Learning in order to identify the key themes of our work, to make connections with broader academic and social events of the time and to assert the continuing relevance of these themes for future scholarship. We review 27 papers that we have published in Management Learning since Volume 1 (1971) and identify four main themes from our papers. These are set in the context of the development of critical management education. We highlight the broader dimensions to our themes and suggest two areas with implications for future scholarship in Management Learning. In our conclusion, we use our findings and reflections to identify what we have learned about management learning, as well as making a call for action in relation to what we are labelling historical reflexivity.

Balancing “Critique for Improvement” With “Critique for Emancipation” in Management Learning and Education

“…But how, then, can a critical perspective be utilized in management learning and education more concretely? Reynolds and Vince (2020) and Reynolds (1999) suggest a number of aspects that need to be addressed and incorporated into the curriculum as well as into actual teaching processes. One aspect concerns critically questioning which theoretical framework and perspectives are included and which are left out.…”

“…Consequently, the promotion of a capacity for critical reflection is emphasized as a pivotal part of management learning and education (Dyck et al, 2012;Gray, 2007;Reynolds & Vince, 2020;Rigg et al, 2021;Trautmann et al, 2007). For instance, according to Cunliffe et al (2002), the ability to think "outside of the box" is an important skill for managers who seek to be creative or to find innovative solutions in a rapidly changing world.…”

Art, culture and paradox pedagogy in management learning: The case of Portuguese fado

“…Given that management cannot but be a cultural practice, necessarily situated in time and space (Reynolds and Vince, 2020), management pedagogy ought to approach universalism with caution. The study of artistic cultural expression supports zooming out, to explore how time and space shape processes, including in management.…”

In praise of holistic scholarship: A collective essay in memory of Mark Easterby-Smith

“…Mark’s work was foundational in this area, in the journal and beyond, (e.g. Easterby-Smith, 1981, 1986, 1988), representing a “sea-change” from positivistic quantitative approaches to more qualitative forms (Tanton and Fox, 1987), and mirroring a greater emphasis on critical and contextual approaches in management learning and education (Reynolds and Vince, 2020). Observing an uptake of ethnographic designs in evaluation research, Mark was at the forefront of reconceiving evaluation (Easterby-Smith, 1986), as a pluralistic concept with multiple values (Tanton and Fox, 1987).…”