MN6150 - Critical Management (2026/27)
| Module specification | Module approved to run in 2026/27, but may be subject to modification | ||||||||
| Module title | Critical Management | ||||||||
| Module level | Honours (06) | ||||||||
| Credit rating for module | 15 | ||||||||
| School | Guildhall School of Business and Law | ||||||||
| Total study hours | 150 | ||||||||
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| Assessment components |
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| Running in 2026/27(Please note that module timeslots are subject to change) | No instances running in the year |
Module summary
Critical Management Studies (CMS) offers a vital framework for questioning mainstream assumptions about management, work, and organizations. Emerging from Marxist labour process theory in the 1980s and later shaped by critical theory and post-structuralism, CMS explores how power, identity, and discourse operate in organizational life. More recently, it has expanded to critique broader societal issues such as colonialism, patriarchy, heterosexism, and global capitalism—often treating management as a reflection of deeper ideological structures.
This undergraduate module introduces you to the critical, interdisciplinary tradition of CMS, encouraging you to challenge conventional thinking about management. You will develop an understanding of key theoretical approaches in CMS, for example Marxist, Foucauldian, and postcolonial perspectives. You will critically analyse contemporary issues such as power relations, identity politics, and the global context of work and organizations. You will learn to question managerial practices and discourses, exploring their ethical and political implications. You will also strengthen your ability to construct well-reasoned arguments and engage with complex texts and ideas. Finally, you will gain the tools to connect academic critique with real-world social issues, preparing you to become a more reflective and socially aware graduate.
Prior learning requirements
None.
Syllabus
This module introduces students to the field of Critical Management Studies through a structured exploration of its historical roots, theoretical foundations, and contemporary applications.
We begin with an introduction to the origins of CMS, tracing its development from labour process theory and Marxist critiques of capitalism (LO1). Students will examine foundational texts to understand how early CMS scholars challenged traditional assumptions about control, exploitation, and the role of management in industrial society.
We then move to explore key theoretical frameworks, including Frankfurt School critical theory, Foucault, and postcolonial theory (LO1, LO2). These sessions will provide students with conceptual tools to analyse power, identity, and resistance within organisations.
The module continues with a focus on discourse, subjectivity, and identity at work, examining how organizational language and culture shape employee behaviour and managerial control (LO2, LO3). Case studies and contemporary examples will support critical engagement with these themes.
Subsequently, we address macro-level critiques, such as the impact of neoliberalism, global capitalism, patriarchy, and heteronormativity on work and management (LO1, LO2). Here, students will explore how management practices are embedded within broader societal structures.
In the later stages, students will engage with critical readings of managerialism and leadership, and investigate alternatives to mainstream management approaches (LO1, LO3).
The module concludes with sessions on critical reflexivity and public engagement, encouraging students to reflect on their own positionality and consider how CMS can inform socially responsible practice and civic critique (LO3, LO4).
Throughout, students will be supported in developing their ability to interpret complex texts and communicate their insights through discussion, and presentation (LO3, LO4).
Balance of independent study and scheduled teaching activity
This module will be taught in a 3-hour workshop that allows the inclusion of different pedagogical methods, including flipped classroom, group discussions and presentations.
Students will be expected to engage with relevant wider reading on the topics and interactions with their peers in discussions in and outside of the classroom to complete the relevant assignments.
The assignments will be a 15-minute group presentation applying what they have learned to a case study and individual reflection of up to 1000 words.
The area of investigation is to be determined by the group of students, and they need to present their understanding and reflections of the concept, its application and future implications.
Weblearn: will be used for the distribution of the Module booklet. It will also be used as an interactive mechanism between students and tutors, for example, to direct students to particular readings or to provide news about the module or the module content. It will also be used for the timely provision of generic feedback following formative assessment.
Learning outcomes
The learning outcome for this module are as follows:
By the end of the module, you will be able to:
• Critically evaluate key theoretical frameworks within Critical Management Studies, for example Marxist, Foucauldian, and postcolonial approaches, and apply them to the analysis of management practices and organisational contexts.
• Analyse and interpret the role of power, identity, and/or discourse in shaping organisational life and broader socio-economic structures.
• Construct coherent and well-supported arguments that challenge mainstream assumptions about management and demonstrate awareness of the ethical, political, and/or cultural dimensions of organisational practices using digital tools.
• Engage critically with complex academic texts and use them to develop original insights into contemporary issues such as neoliberalism, inequality, and global capitalism in relation to work and organisation.