Critical management in India: special reference to Jharkhand

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to invite educational managers and management educators to reflect critically on practice.Design/methodology/approachUsing the point of Socrates' death, the paper suggests ways of reflecting on actions using ethically‐critical, socially‐critical, environmentally‐critical, politically‐critical and globally‐critical perspectives.FindingsWays and means are found of reflecting on actions with special reference to the concept of value and the unique nature of knowledge organizations.Originality/valueThe paper is of value in recommending a blend of Rawlsian egalitarian liberalism and Deweyan democratic and educative pragmatism to support ways of being critical in management education, research and in practice.