Critical theory in use: Organizing the Frankfurt School

Cluley, Robert; Parker, Martin

Abstract

The Frankfurt School was an interdisciplinary grouping of left-wing thinkers whose contributions to the social sciences and humanities made them one of the most influential groups of scholars from the last century. Their work has inspired decades of critical organizational research. Yet, across this body of thought, few organization theorists have considered the Frankfurt School as an organization. This article argues that we cannot apply Frankfurt School theories to organizations unless we understand how the School managed its own activities. Reading the School’s texts and examining its working practices through historical documents, we show that Frankfurt School thinkers did not ignore everyday organizational tasks, nor did they grudgingly accept them as a practical necessity. Rather, they embraced them as components of a dialectical theory of organizing and society – which we term critical theory-in-use. Defining what it means to be a critical scholar today is, we conclude, not just a matter of reading Frankfurt School theory but also understanding how this research institute endured for so long and had such a significant influence.

Citation

Cluley, R., & Parker, M. (2022). Critical theory in use: Organizing the Frankfurt School. Human Relations, https://doi.org/10.1177/00187267221111219

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 9, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Jun 21, 2022
• Publication Date: Jun 21, 2022
• Deposit Date: Jun 27, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 29, 2022
• Journal: Human Relations
• Print ISSN: 0018-7267
• Electronic ISSN: 1741-282X
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/00187267221111219
• Keywords: Management of Technology and Innovation; Strategy and Management; General Social Sciences; Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/8636845
• Publisher URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00187267221111219