Dear All,
I have followed recent discussions within the limits of time constraints
and other pressures to 'perform' as Head of Department in the
contemporary world of academe as profit centre.
I am simultaneously enthused and horrified by the indications that the
aesthetic is being absorbed into the mainstream discourse of both
management itself and of management and organization theory at the level
of the academy. The enthusiasm is for obvious reasons. But, beyond
that, I am very cynical about the reasoning and have real concerns that
'interest' from the broader community may be based upon:
1 - an attempt to 'raise the bar much higher', as Steve indicates, but
to act as a criteria for justifying exclusion rather than explicating
inclusion
2 - instumental incorporation of the aesthetic language into
management-speak, not from commitment, but in order to seek
justification of 'business as usual' (c.f. the language of CSR and
corporate environmentalism, and the emasculation of 'critical
management' within the academy)
I would like to see more discussion of the aesthetic as the field of
resistance to managerialism (both in business and within academe), not
as the seedground for its next
fad...........................................
I think I have nightmares where Steve has
dreams...............................
George
-----Original Message-----
From: Aesthetics, Creativity, and Organisations Research Network
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Steve Taylor
Sent: 12 April 2007 16:30
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Art's place in organization studies
I recently had the experience of a reviewer (for Organization Science)
telling me that my writing should be more beautiful. The reviewer was
suggesting that if I was serious about aesthetics than the reviewers
should be judging the writing on beauty. I tend to agree.
Unfortunately for me that didn't mean they weren't also applying more
traditional criteria, so it translates into the bar being that much
higher. But I have to say that I am okay with this because it does open
the door for including artistic criteria in the assessment.
Personally, when I hear Daved's question, I find myself more interested
in what would businesses that have taken seriously the idea of
management as an art look like? I have dreams of leaders and managers
caring as much about whether their actions are beautiful (or comic or
sublime or whatever aesthetic category they aspire to) as they care
about whether they will produce profit and are doing the right thing.
For me that would be a really interesting triple bottom line - artistic,
moral, and aesthetic results.
Just waiting for today's snow storm,
Steve
On 4/9/07 1:38 PM, "Daved Barry" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> I'm not sure what other things might change. I'd really welcome more
> of these 'what would/could a Business Arts Academy look like?'
> scenarios from the rest of you--it's a good exercise I think. And
> maybe it will help whisk things on their way. Teike, Philippe, Henrik,
> Claus (and others of you who are professionally trained artists
> getting MOS PhDs) . . . you're in a good position to say something
> about this! Lucy? Deborah? Vicki? Brad? Eric? Some of you other SCOS
> denizens as well ;-)--Steve Linstead, Heather? D
>
Steven S. Taylor, PhD
Assistant Professor
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Department of Management
100 Institute Rd
Worcester, MA 01609
USA
+1 508-831-5557
[log in to unmask]
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