IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/jomstd/v45y2008i3p613-635.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Narrative of ‘Evidence Based’ Management: A Polemic

Author

Listed:
  • Kevin Morrell

Abstract

abstract ‘Evidence based’ management is a popular contemporary account of the relationship between research and practice in management studies. This paper critically examines the implications of this account from the perspective of Formalism: a narratological approach to critique that focuses on how narratives are made compelling, and hence powerful. Compelling narratives deploy devices that establish (i) credibility and (ii) defamiliarization. Using this approach the paper identifies and examines different ideological strands in the nascent literature on evidence based management: pragmatism, progress, systematization, technique, accumulation. These are the means by which advocates of evidence based approaches construct a compelling story about the value of this approach. Prior criticism of the evidence based approach has centred on epistemological and technical issues. The aim here is to use an aesthetic mode of criticism to highlight political and moral implications. These are important given the relationship between claims to knowledge and the use of power; and the interaction between management research, and management as practice.

Suggested Citation

  • Kevin Morrell, 2008. "The Narrative of ‘Evidence Based’ Management: A Polemic," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(3), pages 613-635, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jomstd:v:45:y:2008:i:3:p:613-635
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-6486.2007.00755.x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2007.00755.x
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2007.00755.x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. W. Graham Astley & Raymond F. Zammuto, 1992. "Organization Science, Managers, and Language Games," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 3(4), pages 443-460, November.
    2. Hélène Giroux, 2006. "‘It Was Such a Handy Term’: Management Fashions and Pragmatic Ambiguity," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(6), pages 1227-1260, September.
    3. Sue Dopson, 2006. "Debate: Why Does Knowledge Stick? What We Can Learn From the Case of Evidence-Based Health Care," Public Money & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(2), pages 85-86, April.
    4. Timothy Clark, 2004. "Guest Editor's Introduction," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(3), pages 367-376, May.
    5. Gabriel, Yiannis, 2000. "Storytelling in Organizations: Facts, Fictions, and Fantasies," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198297062.
    6. Haas, Peter M., 1989. "Do regimes matter? Epistemic communities and Mediterranean pollution control," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 43(3), pages 377-403, July.
    7. Orly Benjamin & Rona Goclaw, 2005. "Narrating the Power of Non‐Standard Employment: The Case of the Israeli Public Sector," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(4), pages 737-759, June.
    8. Jeffrey Pfeffer, 1995. "Mortality, Reproducibility, and the Persistence of Styles of Theory," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 6(6), pages 681-686, December.
    9. Michael K. Mauws & Nelson Phillips, 1995. "Crossroads Understanding Language Games," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 6(3), pages 322-334, June.
    10. Tom Keenoy, 1999. "HRM as Hologram: A Polemic," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(1), pages 1-23, January.
    11. William Acar & Robert J. Keating & Kenneth E. Aupperle & William W. Hall & Richard A. Engdahl, 2003. "Peering at the Past Century's Corporate Strategy Through the Looking Glass of Time‐Series Analysis: Extrapolating from Chandler's Classic Mid‐Century American Firms?," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(5), pages 1225-1254, July.
    12. Anne Ellaway & Sally Macintyre & Ade Kearns, 2001. "Perceptions of Place and Health in Socially Contrasting Neighbourhoods," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 38(12), pages 2299-2316, November.
    13. Jeffery S. McMullen & Dean A. Shepherd, 2006. "Encouraging Consensus‐Challenging Research in Universities," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(8), pages 1643-1669, December.
    14. David Guest & Zella King, 2004. "Power, Innovation and Problem‐Solving: The Personnel Managers’ Three Steps to Heaven?," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(3), pages 401-423, May.
    15. Samia Chreim, 2005. "The Continuity–Change Duality in Narrative Texts of Organizational Identity," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(3), pages 567-593, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Abiye Tob-Ogu & Niraj Kumar & John Cullen & Erica E. F. Ballantyne, 2018. "Sustainability Intervention Mechanisms for Managing Road Freight Transport Externalities: A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-18, June.
    2. Margaret Dalziel, 2018. "Why are there (almost) no randomised controlled trial-based evaluations of business support programmes?," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 4(1), pages 1-9, December.
    3. Bezzina, Frank & Cassar, Vincent & Tracz-Krupa, Katarzyna & Przytuła, Sylwia & Tipurić, Darko, 2017. "Evidence-based human resource management practices in three EU developing member states: Can managers tell truth from fallacy?," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 35(5), pages 688-700.
    4. Matthias Fink & Rainer Harms & Isabella Hatak, 2012. "Nanotechnology and Ethics: The Role of Regulation Versus Self-Commitment in Shaping Researchers’ Behavior," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 109(4), pages 569-581, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sörgärde, Nadja, 2020. "Story-dismantling, story-meandering, and story-confirming: Organizational identity work in times of public disgrace," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 36(3).
    2. Kari Jalonen & Henri Schildt & Eero Vaara, 2018. "Strategic concepts as micro‐level tools in strategic sensemaking," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(10), pages 2794-2826, October.
    3. Saku Mantere, 2013. "What Is Organizational Strategy? A Language-Based View," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 50(8), pages 1408-1426, December.
    4. Marcus T. Wolfe & Dean A. Shepherd, 2015. "What do you have to Say about That? Performance Events and Narratives’ Positive and Negative Emotional Content," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 39(4), pages 895-925, July.
    5. Kari Jalonen & Henri A. Schildt & Eero Vaara, 2018. "Strategic concepts as micro‐level tools in strategic sensemaking," Post-Print hal-02312245, HAL.
    6. Olivier Boiral, 2007. "Corporate Greening Through ISO 14001: A Rational Myth?," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 18(1), pages 127-146, February.
    7. Mats Alvesson & Cynthia Hardy & Bill Harley, 2008. "Reflecting on Reflexivity: Reflexive Textual Practices in Organization and Management Theory," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(3), pages 480-501, May.
    8. Julia Balogun & Claus Jacobs & Paula Jarzabkowski & Saku Mantere & Eero Vaara, 2014. "Placing Strategy Discourse in Context: Sociomateriality, Sensemaking, and Power," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(2), pages 175-201, March.
    9. Frandsen, Sanne, 2017. "The silver bullet of branding: Fantasies and practices of organizational identity work in organizational identity change process," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 222-234.
    10. Daniela Ruggeri & Antonio Leotta & Carmela Rizza, 2023. "Digitalisation and accounting language games in organisational contexts," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 27(3), pages 817-838, September.
    11. Khilji, Shaista E. & Wang, Xiaoyun, 2007. "New evidence in an old debate: Investigating the relationship between HR satisfaction and turnover," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 16(3), pages 377-395, June.
    12. Alfred Kieser, 2007. "Entwicklung von Organisationstheorien als Zeitgeistphänomen," Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, Springer, vol. 59(6), pages 678-705, September.
    13. Anders Melander & Tomas Mullern & David Anderssson & Fredrik Elgh & Malin Löfving, 2022. "Bridging the Knowledge Gap in Collaborative Research—in Dialogues We Trust," Systemic Practice and Action Research, Springer, vol. 35(5), pages 655-677, October.
    14. Per Engelseth & Richard Glavee-Geo & Artur Janusz & Enoch Niboi, 2020. "The Emergent Nature of Networked Sustainable Procurement," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-18, December.
    15. Jeffery S. McMullen & Dimo Dimov, 2013. "Time and the Entrepreneurial Journey: The Problems and Promise of Studying Entrepreneurship as a Process," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 50(8), pages 1481-1512, December.
    16. Arfan Khalid, 2011. "Effect of Organizational Change on Employee Job Involvement: Mediating Role of Communication, Emotions and Psychological Contract," Information Management and Business Review, AMH International, vol. 3(3), pages 178-184.
    17. Maddy Janssens & Chris Steyaert, 2009. "HRM and Performance: A Plea for Reflexivity in HRM Studies," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(1), pages 143-155, January.
    18. Russell, David & Mort, Gillian Sullivan & Hume, Margee, 2009. "Analysis of management narrative to understand social marketing strategy: The case of ‘Branding Logan City’," Australasian marketing journal, Elsevier, vol. 17(4), pages 232-237.
    19. Peter J Baldacchino & Jean Paul Abela & Norbert Tabone & Simon Grima, 2021. "Board of Director Diversity and Its Corporate Governance Implications in Maltese Equity-Listed Companies," International Journal of Finance, Insurance and Risk Management, International Journal of Finance, Insurance and Risk Management, vol. 11(4), pages 37-65.
    20. Barbara Townley, 2004. "Managerial Technologies, Ethics and Managing," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(3), pages 425-445, May.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:jomstd:v:45:y:2008:i:3:p:613-635. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0022-2380 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.