Myopic Rhetorics: Reflectingepistemologically And Ethicallyrnon The Demand For Relevancernin Organizational Andrnmanagement Research

摘要

I examine the relevance debate in organizational/management research and teaching as a disciplinary rhetoric that should be treated with a degree of caution if not skepticism. For enslavement to relevance is in danger of reducing our independence as academics-something that, from my experience of working with a consortium of practitioners, I know that management values. Here, however, I do not suggest resisting relationships with management. On the contrary, I endorse them as a way of developing productive, ethical research and learning; building sources of access for research; and enhancing teaching. Also, such relationships can supplement existing research-funding resources, although it is still necessary to retain some epistemological distance from management practice while engaging with it as an ethical project.