Foucauldian approaches to researching management histories critically

This chapter outlines ‘methods’ for historical research in Management drawn from the work of Michel Foucault (to note, Foucault did not like his work being reduced to methods as we will explain). Foucault wrote histories that sought to counter conventional accounts: accounts he saw as providing legitimacy for those in power and shutting down alternative ways of understanding the past and viewing the future. We explore the key elements of Foucault’s ‘counter-histories’ and trace the development of Foucault’s approaches, from the initial influence of Friedrich Nietzsche through to his last works. To illustrate how Foucault might be applied in Management research, we examine how Kurt Lewin’s views on change have been reduced to a simplistic framework for management and leadership intervention. We conclude by suggesting ways in which Foucauldian approaches could be utilized to investigate this and other cases further.