City Research Online

Abstract

Critical Management Studies (CMS) has largely relied on one‐dimensional critique which focus on the negation of a dominant social order. This strong focus has made the field increasingly stale and preoccupied with standard objects for critique. This paper suggests that if CMS is to move beyond these problems, it needs to develop three‐dimensional thinking, including understanding, questioning, and reparation. Drawing on the idea of ‘reparative critique’ (Sedgwick, 1997), we outline what this looks like in practice and how it might be done by practitioners of CMS. We argue that reparative critique involves three steps of understanding, developed through empirical inquiry relaxing assumptions and thick description, critique developed through exploring dilemmas and examining ironies, and reparation which is created through deflation and concept creation. By working through these three steps, we think it is possible for CMS to move beyond identifying the ‘dark side’ and begin to identify positive visions for the future of management.

Publication Type:	Article
Additional Information:	© 2025 The Author(s). Journal of Management Studies published by Society for the Advancement of Management Studies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Publisher Keywords:	critical management studies, critique, reparative critique, three-dimensional thinking
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD28 Management. Industrial Management
Departments:	Bayes Business School Bayes Business School > Management
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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