After many years in business and latterly several years in buiness higher education, a few pennies are beginning to drop! Now frequent readers will realise that I come at most things from from a Critical Theory position, and in this case I might be mistaken for biting the hand that feeds me, however, 'falling asleep' and 'accepting' as normal the way business has been organised is not really helpful in my view.
That's why I did this recent Stumble post 2 Key Tips for Business Success and I've set up Marketing is Unethical as a Hey Monkey Brain squid lens that aims to heat up the conversation.
As well as Jurgen Habermas I reckon that Michel Foucault has got a useful approach, as someone who... "refuses to let comfortable practices alone…forever questioning ideas and turning upside down the institutions that support these ideas”
With the functions of marketing and HR in mind I really favour the approach that... "continues to unsettle, to disturb and ultimately undermine the stability and reputability of positive forms of knowledge” This is the opposite effect to the MBA-ing of our workplaces which David Knights (Organisational Scholar not Procul Harmum's bass guitarist btw)says is... “attractive to management…because it contributes to the transformation of management practice into an expertise that is supported by knowledge” and “provides some illusion of control, legitimacy, and security in the face of uncertainty”
By questioning current forms of business, and its organisation we will erdicate the 'Marketing Mystics' and the 'HR Psychometrists" from our organisations, and avoid the toxic management that they purvey.
Check out Textual Relations for more discussion in this arena.
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