'The smell of the place': managerialist culture in contemporary UK business schools

Journal Publication ResearchOnline@JCU
Case, Peter;De Vita, Glauco
Abstract

By introducing an intentionally provocative critique of managerialist regimes which typify contemporary UK business school culture, we argue that current business school management practices generate a climate of mistrust and alienation amongst academics. Such a climate is not conducive to a reformative agenda that business schools should be pursuing if they are to improve staff morale and the educational environment. Drawing on Ghoshal's 'smell of the place' metaphor to structure this argument, we court deliberate irony and paradox. Rather than draw on heterodox theory to inform our critique we, instead, turn relatively mainstream management and organization theory against itself. Our argument is that even when examined through orthodox lenses, managerialist practices are found wanting and contradict the precepts of much mainstream normative theory.

Journal

Culture and Organization

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Volume

22

ISBN/ISSN

1477-2760

Edition

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Issue

4

Pages Count

17

Location

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Publisher

Routledge

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Publisher Location

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Publish Date

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Url

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Date

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EISSN

N/A

DOI

10.1080/14759551.2014.971122