Mirror, mirror, on the wall: Reflecting on the ethics and effects of a collective critical management studies identity project

This article explores the relationship between the identity of critical management studies (CMS) academics and that of managers. The article argues that, as a result of the way in which CMS identities are pursued, managers often become represented as culpable dupes. This instrumental 'othering' of managers tends to work against an empathetic understanding of their lives. The article suggests that this raises ethical problems as it runs counter to the espoused aims of much CMS work. The article first considers the nature of CMS through a number of key 'positioning' articles that suggest an identity attractive to many of its members. It goes on to analyse how this identity positions the managerial other, using a theoretical framework derived from Sartre, Heidegger and Ricoeur. The article concludes with a discussion of how CMS might address the implications of the interdependent identity projects of academics and managers. Copyright © 2008 Sage Publications