Emancipatory Management: The Contradiction Between Practice and Discourse

Abstract

Emancipatory management is a practice based on Habermas’ critical theory characterized by the search for both individual and collective fulfillment. This article presents the findings of a study conducted in two community organizations, one in Bahia (Brazil) the other in Quebec (Canada), that both espoused the values of emancipatory management. We applied a constructivist approach and used Participatory Action Research methodology to analyze how the potentials and the limits of an emancipatory management are influenced by cultural context. Our research revealed that contradictions exist between individual and collective emancipation values and between social discourse and organizational practice. On the one hand, individual autonomy linked to self-interest hindered collective objectives. On the other hand, external social action and discourse aligned with critical ideas of participation, solidarity, and collective well-being were directly opposed to internal practices of inequality, manipulation, and domination. We conclude by discussing how a critical perspective on organizational learning might offer a path toward collectively-created alternative practices.