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Clinical and critical: The Lacanian contribution to management and organization studies

Author

Listed:
  • Gilles Arnaud

    (LCSP (EA_7335) - Laboratoire de Changement Social et Politique - UPD7 - Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7)

  • Bénédicte Vidaillet

    (IRG - Institut de Recherche en Gestion - UPEM - Université Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallée - UPEC UP12 - Université Paris-Est Créteil Val-de-Marne - Paris 12)

Abstract

Over the past 15 years, an increasing number of researchers have become aware of what the French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan's work can contribute to management and organization studies. The number of publications on the subject has significantly risen, at the risk of leading to some apparent heterogeneity of the topics covered and a potential distortion of the Lacanian concepts when used in management and organization studies. In this article, we aim to map this emerging field of research, bring to light the theoretical basis common to those works so as to make the Lacanian theory used to study management and organization more legible, and discuss the limitations and opportunities implied by such a Lacanian approach. We organize the published works around two main orientations, each helping to address specific issues: a clinical orientation, within organizational psycho-dynamics, and a critical orientation, related to critical management studies.

Suggested Citation

  • Gilles Arnaud & Bénédicte Vidaillet, 2018. "Clinical and critical: The Lacanian contribution to management and organization studies," Post-Print hal-01591534, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-01591534
    DOI: 10.1177/1350508417720021
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-01591534
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Niittymies, Aleksi & Pajunen, Kalle & Lamberg, Juha-Antti, 2022. "Temporality and firm de-internationalization: Three historical approaches," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 57(6).
    2. Georgiana Grigore & Mike Molesworth & Andreea Vonțea & Abdullah Hasan Basnawi & Ogeday Celep & Sylvian Patrick Jesudoss, 2021. "Drama and Discounting in the Relational Dynamics of Corporate Social Responsibility," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 174(1), pages 65-88, November.
    3. Hélène Picard & Gazi Islam, 2019. "“Free to do what I want”? Exploring the ambivalent effects of liberating leadership," Grenoble Ecole de Management (Post-Print) halshs-01958935, HAL.
    4. Hélène Picard & Gazi Islam, 2019. "“Free to do what I want”? Exploring the ambivalent effects of liberating leadership," Post-Print halshs-01958935, HAL.

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    Keywords

    Lacan; Critical management studies; organizational psycho-dynamics; psychoanalysis;
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