Rethinking Management Education

At a time of ever-increasing debate about the nature and adequacy of orthodox approaches to management education, particularly in the new postindustrial, postmodern era, this innovative volume brings together the work of authors actively engaged in reflecting on, and developing new forms of education in the field of management. Rethinking Management Education begins by stating that it is important to critique and analyze such a significant and contemporary entity as management, and that management education--since it plays such a crucial role in producing and reproducing managerial practices--is the primary site for such interrogation. After contrasting dominant utilitarian and functionalist conceptions of management education with various alternatives, the contributors argue for a need for a dialogical pluralism whereby participants are introduced to the full diversity of appropriate perspectives and debates. Throughout the book, there is a focus on the implications of problematizing management knowledge so as to facilitate alternative and critical modalities of teaching and learning. In this context, management is seen not only as a bundle of skills and techniques, but as a complex social, political, and moral practice. Rethinking Management Education is full of insightful and unique ideas. Containing the most significant developments in education, this book is a must for all academics, students, and professionals in management.

The author is based at the University of Cambridge