IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/manlab/v51y2026i1p11-24.html

Fifty Years of Management and Labour Studies: From the Shop Floor to New Epistemic Frontiers

Author

Listed:
  • Vicki Little
  • Agnis Stibe
  • Anushka Siriwardana
  • Daisy Kanagasapapathy
  • Phuong Phung
  • Said Zahedani
  • Santiago Velasquez
  • Xiaoxia (Spice) Wang

Abstract

Management and Labour Studies marks its 50th anniversary at a moment of profound technological upheaval. Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping not only organizational work but also the epistemic labour of scholarship and the knowledge products it generates. This article examines how AI entanglement is transforming authorship, expertise and the legitimacy of knowledge through a bricolaged, Delphi-inspired dialogue, triangulated with industry and public debates. We map a spectrum of practices: from instrumental uses such as grammar correction and assessment support, to deeper engagement where AI becomes an epistemic co-agent. These findings highlight AI’s double-edged nature. While it can accelerate and augment scholarship, it also risks dependency, superficiality and erosion of scholarly craft. We propose collaborative, collective, epistemic reflexivity (CCER) as both a conceptual frame and a practical approach to knowledge-making under uncertainty. Conceptually, we reframe AI as a transformation of epistemic labour rather than an enhancing tool. Methodologically, we advance a transparent, Delphi-bricolage method for reflexive inquiry. Empirically, we integrate scholarly debates with industry and public framings. Management scholars must now treat epistemic labour itself as a critical site of analysis in the era of AI.

Suggested Citation

  • Vicki Little & Agnis Stibe & Anushka Siriwardana & Daisy Kanagasapapathy & Phuong Phung & Said Zahedani & Santiago Velasquez & Xiaoxia (Spice) Wang, 2026. "Fifty Years of Management and Labour Studies: From the Shop Floor to New Epistemic Frontiers," Management and Labour Studies, XLRI Jamshedpur, School of Business Management & Human Resources, vol. 51(1), pages 11-24, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:manlab:v:51:y:2026:i:1:p:11-24
    DOI: 10.1177/0258042X251410513
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0258042X251410513
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/0258042X251410513?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. Spiggle, Susan, 1994. "Analysis and Interpretation of Qualitative Data in Consumer Research," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 21(3), pages 491-503, December.
    2. Andrea Prothero, 2024. "Me, the Patriarchy, and the Business School," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(3), pages 1152-1159, May.
    3. Diana Kwon, 2025. "Is it OK for AI to write science papers? Nature survey shows researchers are split," Nature, Nature, vol. 641(8063), pages 574-578, May.
    4. Wanda J. Orlikowski, 1992. "The Duality of Technology: Rethinking the Concept of Technology in Organizations," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 3(3), pages 398-427, August.
    5. Lauren Gurrieri & Andrea Prothero & Shona Bettany & Susan Dobscha & Jenna Drenten & Shelagh Ferguson & Stacey Finkelstein & Laura McVey & Nacima Ourahmoune & Laurel Steinfield & Linda Tuncay Zayer, 2024. "Feminist academic organizations: Challenging sexism through collective mobilizing across research, support, and advocacy," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(5), pages 2158-2179, September.
    6. Garud, Raghu & Gehman, Joel & Giuliani, Antonio Paco, 2014. "Contextualizing entrepreneurial innovation: A narrative perspective," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(7), pages 1177-1188.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Cayla, Julien & Bhatnagar, Kushagra & Nanarpuzha, Rajesh & Dey, Sayantan, 2025. "From social feeds to market fields: How influencer stories drive market innovation," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 42(4), pages 1246-1263.
    2. Daly, Bonita A. & Schuler, Drue K., 1998. "Redefining a certified public accounting firm," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 23(5-6), pages 549-567.
    3. Nicoletta Buratti & Francesco Derchi & Giorgia Profumo, 2015. "The blurred boundary between empowered and working consumers: insights from the winner taco case," MERCATI & COMPETITIVIT?, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2015(4), pages 133-156.
    4. repec:oup:jecgeo:v:50:y:2023:i:2:p:282-302. is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Thomas, Rhodri & Wood, Emma, 2015. "The absorptive capacity of tourism organisations," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 84-99.
    6. Bianco, Federica & Michelino, Francesca, 2010. "The role of content management systems in publishing firms," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 30(2), pages 117-124.
    7. Cristel Russell & Dale Russell & Jill Klein, 2011. "Ambivalence toward a country and consumers’ willingness to buy emblematic brands: The differential predictive validity of objective and subjective ambivalence measures on behavior," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 22(4), pages 357-371, November.
    8. Katja H. Brunk & Cara Boer, 2020. "How do Consumers Reconcile Positive and Negative CSR-Related Information to Form an Ethical Brand Perception? A Mixed Method Inquiry," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 161(2), pages 443-458, January.
    9. Mariek Vanden Abeele & Ralf De Wolf & Rich Ling, 2018. "Mobile Media and Social Space: How Anytime, Anyplace Connectivity Structures Everyday Life," Media and Communication, Cogitatio Press, vol. 6(2), pages 5-14.
    10. Emmanuelle Vaast & Geoff Walsham, 2009. "Trans-Situated Learning: Supporting a Network of Practice with an Information Infrastructure," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 20(4), pages 547-564, December.
    11. Thomas, Llewellyn D.W. & Snihur, Yuliya, 2025. "Ecosystem framing and infomediary resonance: Amazon’s early years (1995–2003)," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    12. Pradeep Racherla & Munir Mandviwalla, 2013. "Moving from Access to Use of the Information Infrastructure: A Multilevel Sociotechnical Framework," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 24(3), pages 709-730, September.
    13. repec:dau:papers:123456789/4907 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Tom Joerß & Payam Akbar & Robert Mai & Stefan Hoffmann, 2017. "Conceptualizing sustainability from a consumer perspective [Konzeptionalisierung der Nachhaltigkeit aus der Konsumentensicht]," Sustainability Nexus Forum, Springer, vol. 25(1), pages 15-23, June.
    15. Veronica Devenin & Constanza Bianchi, 2018. "Soccer fields? What for? Effectiveness of corporate social responsibility initiatives in the mining industry," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 25(5), pages 866-879, September.
    16. Rindell, Anne & Strandvik, Tore, 2023. "To be or not to be corporate heritage oriented? A study of managers’ corporate heritage mindsets," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 41(2), pages 282-291.
    17. Said Sarabi, 2016. "Development Optimal Strategies for Media Policy of IRIB on Issue of Climate Change," Modern Applied Science, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 10(2), pages 115-115, February.
    18. François-Xavier de Vaujany & Sabine Carton & Carine Dominguez-Perry & Emmanuelle Vaast, 2012. "Performativity and Information Technologies: An inter-organizational perspective," Post-Print halshs-00851315, HAL.
    19. Thomas Gillier & Gérald Piat, 2011. "Exploring over the Presumed Identity of Emerging Technology," Grenoble Ecole de Management (Post-Print) hal-00641765, HAL.
    20. Célia Lemaire & Thierry Nobre, 2013. "La Pre-Appropriation D'Un Outil De Gestion A L'Hopital," Post-Print hal-00992968, HAL.
    21. Jon Reast & François Maon & Adam Lindgreen & Joëlle Vanhamme, 2013. "Legitimacy-Seeking Organizational Strategies in Controversial Industries: A Case Study Analysis and a Bidimensional Model," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 118(1), pages 139-153, November.
    22. Monica C. LaBarge & Martin Pyle, 2020. "Staying in “the works of living”: How older adults employ marketplace resources to age successfully," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(2), pages 742-774, June.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    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:sae:manlab:v:51:y:2026:i:1:p:11-24. 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: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.xlri.ac.in/ .

    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.