The good, the bad and the (sm)ugly (complacent): A postdichotomous critique of ‘good’ managerial theory, intent and action

The concept of a single reality view of social situations has been problematized and deconstructed in recent critical literature on organizations. However, much of the managerial literature promotes concepts and models of unity, and hence much managerial intent and action is still bounded by convergent and exclusive thinking, within a unified and unifying structure. In critically engaging with notions of unity and convergence in an organizational context, we seek to promote divergent thinking that accepts that organizational actors perceive multiple realities, and that these are not unstructured, but are framed by micro-level structures that are both constraining of, and constructed within these realities. We apply dramaturgical and narrative analyses to elucidate and elaborate organizational actors’ complex realities of the experience of change through tracing and deconstructing the various narrative lines which were intertwined in monological accounts that predominated in the organizational situation from which our illustrations are drawn. The illustrative examples for this paper are drawn from a series of longitudinal interventions within a large public sector organization, investigated through multi-methods including consultancy projects, structured and unstructured interviews, questionnaires and participant observation. The material drawn from the variousn this paper we explore the concept of ‘good’ management as it is represented in the managerial literature, where the concept of ‘good’ is set in dichotomous opposition to that of ‘bad’. Whilst we identify such dichotomies as the basic building blocks of managerial practice, our illustration from organizational interaction indicates that meaning generated by organizational actors is not so readily set in dichotomous relationships. Some of the literature moves beyond dichotomous thinking, arguing that good practice is not based upon implementation of mere good intent, and that management intent is in any case subject to variable interpretation and response by other groups, dependent upon context and contingency. It is this contextual nature of intent, interpretation and action that we explore and discuss in relation to philosophy and management. Our argument is that ‘goodness’ in management is not absolute or oppositionally distinct from ‘bad’ or ‘evil’. Rather, the best of intentions and intention/ac tion schemas pragmatically fall foul of power and embedded cultures that reflect multiple reality frames. Keywords : good, bad, (post)dichotomous, postmodern, practice, theory interventions has been subject to reflection and critical examination over time and from a number of perspectives.