What the Shadow Knows: Exploring the Hidden Dimensions of the Consumer Metaphor in Management Education

Abstract

This article aims to uncover hidden dimensions of the metaphor of consumerism in management education. By exploring the metaphor, the authors elucidate the implicit claims in the assertion that teachers produce business education and students consume that product. The image of commodification structures a discourse that involves conceptions of power, knowledge, and socially useful activity. The discourse emanates from social and educational institutions that shape relations between students and teachers. To understand how the metaphor creates subjective perceptions, the authors propose a linguistic-based framework as an analytical device. They conclude with specific reference to teaching activities and ways in which the so-called shadow of consumerism can be empirically examined.